Thousands of activists marched through the streets of
downtown Los Angeles to oppose immigration enforcement raids and
demand that local officials take concrete steps to thwart the "deportation
machine" under President Donald Trump.
David Abud, one of the organizers of the march, said the
coalition of activists is demanding that city and county officials refuse to
invest any resources in immigration enforcement.
Activists also want to ensure that a new fund to provide
legal assistance to immigrants won't exclude those with criminal convictions.
They are also asking the city and the county to invest in programs that help
immigrants, including day labor centers.
"We want the city and the county to not just declare
Los Angeles a 'sanctuary city' — which they have not — but to take these
strong, concrete policies," said Abud, who works with the National Day
Laborer Organizing Network.
About 11:30 a.m., thousands of demonstrators gathered at
Pershing Square spilled into the intersection of 5th and Hill streets. Latin
music played on loudspeakers as the numbers grew from the hundreds to more than
1,000. Some vendors sold bacon-wrapped hot dogs on carts or shirts reading
"Not My President."
Rain that threatened the march had stopped earlier.
Large American, Mexican and LGBT flags dotted the scene.
Many marchers held home-drawn signs, some with likenesses of the Statue of
Liberty and President Trump.
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