(EFE).- Hundreds of immigrants, many of them Latinos, marched in New York City on Sunday, some of them waving the flags of their home countries, to demand better working conditions and a path to US citizenship in a demonstration commemorating International Workers’ Day.
They let their voices be heard loudly to demand dignified pay, respect, the right to belong to a union, medical coverage and citizenship for millions of immigrants during a conference prior to the start of the march.
“All workers deserve permanent protections, including belonging to a union,” said Edwin, an organizer of 32BJ, which includes cleaning and maintenance workers in buildings all over the Big Apple, many of these workers being from Latin American countries.
Marchers displayed a huge sign at the head of the procession asserting that immigrants’ labor is essential for the US economy, with the throng setting out shortly after noon from Washington Square in the heart of Manhattan’s Greenwich Village.
“We’re not one, we’re not 100, we’re millions,” “The streets are ours,” “A united people will never be defeated” and demands for “Citizenship now” and “Listen Biden, we’re in the fight” were some of the slogans shouted by enthusiastic marchers as many other New Yorkers and visitors to the city stopped to watch them pass by.
Other signs toted by marchers said “Stop the deportations” and “Ignore the parliamentarian,” referring to the non-partisan legislative official in Washington whose job is to interpret the Senate rules and who twice objected to the inclusion of elements of the overall immigration issue in the administration’s budget bill.
The march, under sunny spring skies, was convened by a coalition of organizations, including assorted unions and community groups such as Se Hace Camino Nueva York, groups demanding the release of political prisoners and those urging people to “Say no to war.”
Is May Day a communist holiday or a spring festival?
The well-attended march, with flags of Colombia, Mexico, Honduras and Puerto Rico much in evidence, along with the participation of members of the LGBTQ community and other rights groups, was spurred on by women banging on a huge drum.
Many marchers carried a flower in tribute to the thousands of workers who have died during the Covid-19 pandemic.
When the marchers arrived at Canal Street, near their final destination of the park on Foley Square and the local immigration office, a group blocked traffic for several minutes by lying down in the street.
Also turning out to support the marchers were a number of politicians, including Congresswoman Alejandra Ocasio Cortez, who – in addressing the marchers – said “We are here to fight for our workers because our workers fight for us, that’s what May Day is all about.”
“We have to remind people, the folks in power, and the folks across this country that working people are immigrants in New York City and across the country. We have to remind ourselves of how far we have come, and we need to talk about what there is left to go. What we have to do ahead,” she declared.
Meanwhile, some 35 other US cities were the sites of other similar May Day marches and gatherings, with thousands of immigrants and workers taking to the streets all over the country, including in downtown Los Angeles, where Evelyn Hernandez, an organizer with the Central American Resources Center (CARECEN), told EFE that the marchers’ direct request to President Joe Biden is for him “not to forget his promise” to get immigration reform approved and to protect workers.
“We were, are and will continue to be essential. The country mustn’t forget that,” she said.
Undocumented Guatemalan migrant Dominga Chiguil, who attended the LA march with her children, said that the most urgent thing for her is for the city authorities to grant permission for her to continue with her street-vending activities. “We have the right to earn our living in a dignified way, but if they don’t want to legalize us, at least let us work,” she told EFE.
At least 10,000 people turned out for the Los Angeles march, according to organizers, with the procession ending up in front of City Hall.
Other California marches were held in San Francisco, San Bernardino, San Diego and Fresno, as well as in Chicago and in the states of Colorado, Nevada, Florida, Washington, Minnesota, Illinois, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
EFE amv-rh/abm-eat/rrt/bp
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CITIZENS DEMAND illegal invaders drop dead.
IF we had a government that wasn’t a TREASONOUS, Socialist, Destructive Democrat Party Ruled government, we would NOT be having these Illegal immigrants demanding more free stuff from our taxpayers!! 🙁 🙁 🙁
The treachery of the traitorous, socialist Democrat Party know no bounds.
The Treasonous, dishonest, destructive, Socialist Democrat Party game plan is to lie, cheat and steal in order to take total control of the American people,
increase Taxes on everything and bring American commerce and economy to its knees and to promote Socialism.
Then access power and retain it by any means available –
no matter the costs to the people, the government or the nation.
These days, THEY DEMAND, and get.
WE ask, and are denied.
“Hundreds of immigrants, many of them Latinos, marched in New York City on Sunday, some of them waving the flags of their home countries, to demand better working conditions and a path to US citizenship in a demonstration commemorating International Workers’ Day.”
How about waving your home country’s flags in your home country and make your demands to the government there? You have to come over here pushing your weight around as though you own the place.
“They let their voices be heard loudly to demand dignified pay, respect, the right to belong to a union, medical coverage and citizenship for millions of immigrants during a conference prior to the start of the march.”
Please. Many of our own legal citizens have been displaced and lost their jobs altogether for various reasons—our primary consideration is to them.
So true.. IF THEY REALLY want to “become US citizens” that is one HELL of a way to show fealty to your ADOPTIVE Country, by flying your HOME COUNTRY’s Flag, CHANTING ITS ANTHEM etc..
AND How many i wonder, ACTUALLY SPEAK english, vice have KEPT THEIR HOME Country’s language?
Dignified pay, respect, the right to belong to a union, medical coverage and citizenship are defined legal civil rights, never to be allowed to become illegally stolen civil wrongs obtained by illegal means. Go home, register for legal admission into the country, learn the language and history, take the courses that allow you to be an American, not some May Day socialist/communist person of entitlement who crosses legal borders demanding control and privileges like a Mentally deranged Putin on a mission to take what he IMAGINES to belong to him that in fact belongs to others. Putin just happens to be open and honest about it and his evil intentions to redistribute the wealth, the land, the freedom of others with the same basic selfish interest in by just stepping over a border line, getting something for nothing whose ancestors and people have fought and shed their blood for. You want to be united with Americans, unlearn your envy, hatred, greed, and illegal behaviors or you will never be welcome or Americans who bring more to the table than just an appetite.
Unfortunately since the Scotus, many decades ago Extended all rights under our constitution TO Illegals, that “never should be allowed” is Long past.
NOW IS THE TIME TO ROUND THEM UP AND SEND THEM BACK!
What majority of US citizens want is for our elected officials in local, state & federal govt to do their damn job to stop providing welfare of any kind & start rounding up & deporting all 30+ million or so illegal aliens that even before the current mass migration was costing US citizens approx $300 Billion annually.
No citizenship ever for anyone who entered illegally no matter how long they have been here illegally sucking up our medical, educatipn, housing & jobs not to mention destroying our sovereignty, balkanizing our language & subverting US citizen voting.
I don’t respond well to whining or demands from illegally present foreign nationals or elected officials who think US citizens should reform our immigration laws to now make it legal for unlimited millions of mostly illiterate & unskilled foreign nationals to invade, dominate & create here the same corrupt lawless cesspools they originated from.
What i want, is them to get HUNG, drawn and quartered, for treason, for WILLFULLY BREAKING their oaths, to WE THE AMERICAN public…
The same thing the NAZIs wanted when they rolled their Panzers down the Champs Elysee in Paris in 1940. Hope it ends up working out the same for these invading criminal miscreants–and the burro they rode in.
Mayday is now a Communist holiday. These Commie Latinos seem to know that. As they grow in number we can expect more demands and marches led by the Dems’ chief Commie, AOC and her big mouth. Only when God gives us a strong, righteous leader will this criminal activity stop. And illegals should never use the word “dignified” in their demands as there is nothing dignified about breaking into someone’s country uninvited and trying to take over. That is called an invasion.
BOYCOTT MAY 5th , they celebrate it in mexico, not in USA, do us GRINGOS celebrate the 4th of July in mexcio ??? I do not think so.
Just a few years ago HS students in CA were sent home & banned from wearing shirts with US flag on May 5th when other students were wearing Mexico flag shirts & hanging Mexico flag across hallway.
School officials said displaying US flag on shirts was offensive on May 5th & would cause Mexican flag wearers to start.fights.
Of course this is CA where all foreign speaking aliens, legal or illegal, have more respect & civil rights than anyone born here to legal US citizens.
That is a racist word gringos. But they just it regularly.
I remember that incident AC.. AND STILL it beggers belief, that a US SCHOOL, paid for by US TAX PAYERS< BANNED THE US Flag, just 'in case it offends illegals"..
I wonder, had that been a group of “AMERICAN FIRST” Conservatives, would they have been granted a permit to protest????
This what they should have done in their home county, but they are cowards, and find a way of least resistance, and sneak in swim the river, but fight for their own county and make the wrongs right OH HELL , can’t do that, lets go wreak the USA, But mexcio gave up the fight back in the 1800,s when they saw the US MARINES, headed for them, they ran. NO MAS NO MAS. no more for us. adios GRINGOS.
“We, the people” (meaning citizens) need to also have our voices/demans heard and this is through our votes. We need tp make sure our votes are properly counted and make only “legal” votes are counted. Not pointing fingers but votes have been bought or illegal invaders have been given the right to vote in some states.
If they’re handed citizenship you can kiss this country goodbye…. and you can thank the Republicans for helping
the Commies keep the borders wide open for this to happen.
Time to give these ungrateful jerks a bus ride home.
If you’re here illegally, your only PATH should be a one way trip back to what ever country you came from. I don’t care how long you’ve been here. Fight for your rights there.
AND IF you are demanding that WE bend over to cater to them.. THEN AT LEAST LEARN OUR damn language! (ENGLISH).
I, as a citizen demand illegal invaders return to their country and try coming here legally.
Criminals making demands I wonder how fast the democrats would.close the border if they all started voting Republican ??
No need to wonder. Just look what happened when Cubans started trying to illegally come to the US last year. As tens of thousands of people were allowed to crossed the Mexican border Mayorkas told the Cubans they would be sent home. Why? Because Cubans are very conservative in their views.
AND they know what happens when commies are in charge!