Thousands of the people gathered across the country on Wednesday urging Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform during a rally celebrating International Workers Day.
“We’re here to demand political change and fair immigration reform,” said Gabriel Zamora, a janitor and undocumented immigrant who crossed the border from Tijuana eight years ago.
Protestors gathered in major cities like Los Angeles, Phoenix, Seattle and New York. In Arizona, which has enacted harsh laws against undocumented immigrants, there was a dramatic decrease in the number of attendees. Around 300 demonstrators gathered at the state Capitol compared to the 100,000 in the historic rallies of 2006.
Protesters who gathered in New York were more focused on the Occupy Wall Street movement. However, few protesters seemed to mind that so many different causes were being represented at the New York rally. Signs against post office closures, corporate America, deportation, and “naughty bankers” were just a few of those being paraded about.
“We’re also here out of a spirit of celebration. We’re celebrating the power of workers. And the power of well-being that comes with working,” said Zamora.
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