Thousands march to support amnesty

Thousands of people, many wearing red, marched peacefully Saturday through downtown Los Angeles, calling for broad amnesty for illegal immigrants.

Police estimated that about 7,000 to 10,000 people participated in the march. Two demonstrations two weeks ago, both held to commemorate last year’s massive Los Angeles march, were marked by low turnout.

Organizers said Saturday’s noontime event, which began at Olympic Boulevard and Broadway and ended at City Hall, was designed to rejuvenate efforts in Washington to promote reform that offers a path to citizenship to the greatest possible number of undocumented immigrants. Such efforts have stalled in Congress.

It was also intended to prove to critics that the immigrant rights movement was not dead, organizers said.

“People would like for it to go away,” said Juan Jose Gutierrez of Latino Movement USA, one of the coordinators of the march. Speaking of Congress, he said, “we are not going to go away until they act responsibly.”

Gutierrez said participants were encouraged to wear red shirts because red is one of the colors of the U.S. flag. In previous demonstrations, many marchers wore white shirts.

But like other recent protests, Saturday’s event did not compare to the rally held on March 25, 2006, when 500,000 protesters took to the streets over a proposed law that would have criminalized undocumented immigrants and those who help them.

Some marchers expressed frustration at the lack of progress in Washington but said it was important to make their voices heard.

“It’ll help them understand that we love the United States, as much as we love our families,” said Sarah De Anda, 19, of Orange, pushing her year-old daughter, Mindy, in a stroller beneath her family’s homemade banner. Decorated with American flags, the banner said: “We have a dream, like Martin Luther King.”

“How many people are here without documents and are here paying taxes and working?” asked Carlos Gonzalez, 38, an undocumented immigrant who said he owns a business in Los Angeles. “I don’t know why they don’t want to give us papers, when we are working and trying to be good citizens.”

Parts of the rally took on the feel of a community parade, attracting parents pushing children in strollers, as vendors selling hot dogs wrapped in bacon did a brisk business.

Some marchers waved U.S. flags, tooted plastic horns or tapped on drums. Even the Bus Riders Union was there, opposing a proposed increase in bus fares, carrying a yellow banner in English, Spanish and Korean.

At Spring and 1st streets, a lone counterdemonstrator held up a neon green sign blaming an “illegal drunk” for causing the car accident that killed film director Bob Clark and his son on Wednesday.

“A superpower that can’t protect its border is a laughingstock,” said Ted Neubauer, 67, of Los Angeles.

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ron.lin@latimes.com

Times staff writer Sam Quinones contributed to this report.