Two May Day marches have hit the streets downtown in support of worker and immigrant rights. According to the Daily News, thousands are expected to attend, and address anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim sentiments expressed by certain Republican presidential candidates, as well as deportation legislation.
One rally held by the May Day Coalition was originally scheduled for noon, but will instead begin at 1 p.m, the L.A. Times reports. The group will begin the march at 11th and Figueroa streets and end at Aliso and Los Angeles streets. The other march, held by Full Rights For Immigrants was set to begin at 12:30 p.m. at Broadway and Olympic Boulevard, and end at Grand Park.
According to the Facebook page for the May Day Coalition march, other groups who helped organize and support the event include Asian Americans Advancing Justice-LA, Black Lives Matter So-Cal, Fight For $15, and the California Nurses Association, among many others.
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation has a map of which downtown streets will be closed to accommodate the marches.
Jorge-Mario Cabrera from the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles told NBC L.A. that the May Day marches were also meant to bring attention to poor treatment of immigrants. "In addition to fighting for workers' rights, we are fighting for our dignity this time around, our self-respect," he said. "We can certainly encourage folks to look at what they're watching, what they're hearing and have them represent themselves and their families β whether they can vote or not β and say, `We are not the rapists. We are not the criminals you are talking about. And we are quite good for this country."
Earlier this week, Donald Trump supporters clashed with protestors at a rally in Orange County and things got ugly, but police expect today's marches to be peaceful.
