Immigration Rallies Pepper Nation — Police Brutalize At Los Angeles Rally

WASHINGTON, D.C. Rallies backing immigrants’ rights peppered the United States last week, though the number of participants failed to reach the heights of last year’s mega-boycott.

Events such as marches, meetings, and voter registration drives covered a wide range of issues from racism and labor rights to healthcare and fair trade.

Demonstrators from Oregon to Florida and Phoenix to Detroit played music and carried American flags, signs, and placards signifying their respect for the U.S. government while advocating

A major reason turnout was low this year was because many undocumented workers were afraid to march due to new laws such as those in Georgia allowing police to check workers’ legal status.

Last year’s boycott drew roughly a million people in major cities to promote citizenship for the roughly 12 million immigrants living illegally in the country.

Raids on workplaces that hired undocumented workers as well as plans to construct a militarized wall across the U.S./Mexico border helped ignite immigrants’ rights movement over the last few years.

In Texas, demonstrations were held in all the major cities in solidarity with the national events, waving flags from various Latin American countries including the United States.

The Dallas suburb of Farmers Branch was one rallying target because voters there are preparing to decide on a ordinance banning landlords from renting space to undocumented workers.

Civil rights groups protested against the T. Don Hutto detention center in Taylor where 400 families of illegal immigrants, half of which are children, have been detained in prison-like conditions.

Days prior to the May Day boycott at the Texas capitol, lawmakers and their constituents condemned the Hutto facility maintained by the for-profit Corrections Corporation of America.

“Putting children in jail is a disproportionate response to the issue of immigration,” said Rep. Eddie Rodriguez (D-Austin) in a written statement. “As a society we should uphold core values which reject policies that punish children for the acts of their parents.”

The message of family separation due to federal immigration policies sounded in New York where groups organized an “American Family Tree” rally.

But not all of the May Day rallies were peaceful. Local police department fired rubber bullets and tear gas at hundreds of people who failed to hear the police declare the assembly unlawful in Los Angeles, Calif.

Lee Siu Hin, National Coordinator for the National Immigrant Solidarity Network, said her organization demanded an independent investigation into the McArthur Park tragedy.

“The LAPD failed to act professionally and demonstrate restraint when it used excess force against a peaceful rally of families which included mothers, babies and young children,” she said. “The LAPD lacked recognition of the consequences of its actions.”