May Day marches, rallies expected to snarl downtown L.A. traffic

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People make their way along Paseo de la Plaza in downtown Los Angeles at the conclusion of a May Day march for immigration reform. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

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Gabriela Escobar, center, of Canoga Park waves an American flag and a Mexican flag during a rally on Paseo de la Plaza. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

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Gaudencia Gomez, right, hands an American flag to her grandson Joel Cruz Calderon, being held by friend Haidee Zelaya, while standing on Paseo de la Plaza. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

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Hiram Ruiz of South Los Angeles participates in the May Day march. (Christina House / For the Los Angeles Times)

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Long Beach resident Ruben Sanchez walks with his son Angel, 6, during the May Day march. (Christina House / For the Los Angeles Times)

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Members of Danza Mexica Cuauhtemoc participate in the May Day march. (Christina House / For the Los Angeles Times)

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Alejandra Arana waves American and Mexican flags as she marches down Broadway in the May Day procession in downtown Los Angeles. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

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Participants march down Broadway in downtown Los Angeles during the May Day march on Wednesday. (Christina House / For the Los Angeles Times)

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Supporters of immigration reform march north on Broadway past 1st Street in downtown Los Angeles. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

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Members of HogerMex, supporters of immigration reform, march in the May Day procession in downtown Los Angeles. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

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Sales and management staff of a cookware company takes part in the May Day march on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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Rosa Ayala participates in the May Day march on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. (Christina House / For the Los Angeles Times)

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Simon Rodriguez, 2, left, and Christian Reyes, 2, in strollers, with their mothers at the start of the May Day march. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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May Day marchers rally at Olympic Boulevard and Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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May Day marchers gather at Olympic Boulevard and Broadway for the start of the rally in downtown Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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Jesus Garcia yells slogans at the start of the May Day march in downtown Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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Juan Carlos Hernandez came dressed as royalty for the May Day march in downtown Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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Gloria Godoy, center, and others take part in the May Day march in downtown Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

By Joseph Serna

May 1, 2013 7:51 AM PT

Police and downtown commuters braced Wednesday for clogged streets and blocked intersections as tens of thousands of immigration supporters planned to march in annual May Day demonstrations.

Los Angeles police will post traffic officers at several downtown intersections on Hill and Spring streets as demonstrators march north on Broadway toward Olvera and 3rd streets.

Rally participants were expected to begin gathering early in the morning, with the largest marches expected to build up in the afternoon. Occupy Los Angeles posted on its Facebook wall that it will join in the demonstrations.

Many of the demonstrations are assembling at Olympic Boulevard and Broadway.

At least 30,000 people are expected to participate.

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation posted a list of DASH detours for Wednesday, starting at 11:30 a.m.

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Joseph.serna@latimes.com

@josephserna