As threat of hard-line immigration enforcement looms, Boyle Heights residents plan march against Trump
Carlos Montes didn’t mince words when asked why he would be leading a protest out of Boyle Heights on the day of Donald Trump’s inauguration.
“We know the first attack is on us,” said the longtime Los Angeles activist. “So we’re going to fight back.”
Just hours after news reports indicated that Trump may turn his hard-line rhetoric on immigrants into action as early as Monday, Montes and two dozen others stood in Mariachi Plaza in East L.A. to denounce the president-elect’s planned approach, claiming he will split up families in Southern California and beyond.
“Many here in Boyle Heights are undocumented. Even the ones that are citizens, their parents are not,” Montes said. “There’s a lot of fear in our community, but there’s also a lot of anger.”
The Boyle Heights march is one of several planned to coincide with Trump’s initial address on Friday. Los Angeles police have issued five permits for planned marches across the downtown area, but police officials said earlier this week that they expect unsanctioned demonstrations to fill the streets as well.
Montes’ group plans to rally at Mariachi Plaza at 11 a.m. and work their way toward downtown. After a stop outside LAPD headquarters, where they plan to read the names of East L.A. residents shot by Los Angeles police officers and sheriff’s deputies in the last year, they will join other protest groups at City Hall for a larger march, he said.
The group has obtained a permit for its march, and Montes expects the event to be peaceful. He said thousands will be present Friday morning, though only 25 people showed up outside the train station on Thursday night. The group remained boisterous in spite of its size.
Several people held signs reading “Dump Trump” and blasting “right-wing racists.” Chants against mass deportations could be heard in English and Spanish as Montes spoke.
Myra Todd, who said she has been in the country illegally for nearly three decades, told supporters that while she believed Trump ran a campaign of fear, that didn’t mean she had to be afraid.
“I am not scared of Donald Trump,” she said to cheers.
Follow @JamesQueallyLAT for crime and police news in California.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
