Over 1 Million Attend Protests

http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/20060501_day_without_mexicans/

Posted on May 1, 2006

The mostly Hispanic immigrants flooded the streets of Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Miami and other cities, causing shutdowns at ports, factories and construction sites. The total impact is unknown.

Marc Cooper strips away the myths surrounding the immigration debate.

Read about how many companies would simply shut down if it weren’t for illegal labor.

Read ”The Case for Globalized Labor,” which argues that it is “economically and morally wrong for the world’s poor immigrants to be locked out of work in the richest countries.”

AP via Wash Po:

HOMESTEAD, Fla. - Illegal immigrants and their allies gathered Monday for marches, prayers and demonstrations on a planned national day of economic protest, boycotting work, school and shopping to show their importance to the country.

Several thousand people marched in the rural city of Homestead, home to one Florida’s largest Mexican immigrant populations and many major growers of fruits, vegetables and nursery plants.

Jose Cruz, 23, from El Salvador, said he took off the day from his construction job to attend the rally.

“If I lose my job, it’s worth it,” said Cruz, who has a temporary work permit that is granted to many Central Americans. “It’s worth losing several jobs to get my papers.”

Link

AP / Charlies Rex Arbogast

An elevated passenger train passes over a street jammed with demonstrators during a march through downtown Chicago Monday, May 1, to show support for immigrant rights. The demonstration was part of a nationwide action meant to show both support for immigration reform and opposition to legislation that would affect an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants.