May Day: Thousands Of Workers To March Through Downtown LA
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Workers are preparing Wednesday to take to downtown Los Angeles streets for annual May Day rallies.
Thousands of workers from as many as 78 different unions and community groups are expected to march from MacArthur Park, stop at Pershing Square, and continue on to Grand Park in downtown LA this afternoon. The march, which will be kicked off at 3 p.m. with a big rally, is expected to have a big impact on afternoon traffic.
Around the world, May Day has traditionally been a day for workers' rights, but in Southern California, it has morphed to include immigrants' rights. Organizer Becky Alvarez says workers in this country now face a slew of issues.
"From health issues to Medicare for all, to the right to work, to the right to unionize, to also fighting the deportation machine this country has built, and now we're seeing the consequences of," Alvarez said.
A separate march will be held at 4:30 p.m. in Boyle Heights, beginning at Cesar Chavez Avenue and Mathews Street, ending at Mariachi Plaza, 730 Pleasant Ave. Along the way, the group will stop for a rally outside the LAPD's Hollenbeck Station to denounce police killings.
Workers who cannot make it out to the rallies were encouraged to wear red in solidarity.
