Immigrants Demonstrate Power through Strike, Boycott, Protests

Chicago / Los Angeles / New York; May 2 – More than a million immigrants and allies took to the streets in cities across America yesterday in the latest of escalating demonstrations for recognition. The outpouring was an expression of immigrants’ power and importance to the US economy as many skipped work to attend mass rallies and marches and refrained from spending money.

Protesters made their biggest showings in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, but smaller events – in some cases tens of thousands strong – took place in dozens of cities nationwide.

In Chicago, where even the police estimated that at least 400,000 marchers turned out in the streets, participants demanded legalization and workers’ rights for immigrants. In the morning, feeder marches from various parts of the city converged in Union Park, near the headquarters of many labor unions. The crowd erupted into chants of "Sí se puede" (Yes we can) and "El pueblo unido jamás sera vencido" (The people united will never be defeated).

The official theme of the march, as hashed out by the coalition organizers and union leaders, was that immigrants’ rights and workers’ rights are one and the same. Participants cheered this message delivered by speakers, but more spontaneously chanted for justice and human rights in general.

Much more to this article at the NewStandard (free).