As organizers and police made final preparations Sunday for immigration protests and possible boycotts around the nation today, residents and business owners in the path of marches in Los Angeles were bracing with a mix of excitement, anxiety and even some anger.
Los Angeles police expect the largest of the demonstrations to occur this afternoon on Wilshire Boulevard. Authorities are preparing for hundreds of thousands to march down one of L.A.'s most storied streets, following a route between MacArthur Park and the Miracle Mile that's a microcosm of the city's ethnic and economic diversity.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Wednesday May 03, 2006 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 0 inches; 23 words Type of Material: Correction
Protest preparations: An article Monday in Section A about Wilshire Boulevard preparing for immigration protests misidentified the Conga Room as the Congo Room.
Many businesses along Wilshire plan to close for most of the day -- some so that workers can join the protests, others in hopes of avoiding potential problems. Parents were figuring out how to pick up their children from school, while some residents -- such as Ted Moreta of Hancock Park -- were getting out of town altogether.
Moreta, who lives on a tree-lined street near La Brea Avenue, was planning to spend Sunday night with family in Orange County to avoid the expected gridlock on his commute to his job at a scuba diving training company in Rancho Santa Margarita.
Despite the inconvenience, the 42-year-old said he supports the demonstrators. "It goes to show what America is all about."
Across the country, immigrants and supporters planned to form human chains in New York City, and marches were planned in Orlando, Fla.; Allentown, Pa.; Louisville, Ky.; and Seattle. Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia planned to deliver a homily about immigration reform during a noon Mass. And in Tucson, an organizer urged "no buying at all," not even phone calls to Mexico.
Demonstrations are also planned around Southern California. Among the cities expected to see protests are Pasadena, Pomona, Santa Ana, Fullerton, Riverside, San Diego, Oxnard, Huntington Park, Long Beach and San Bernardino.
"A lot of people don't have the means to get to Los Angeles, especially students," said Deborah Vasquez, executive director of the American Latino Voter Education Fund, who is helping organize events beginning at 2 p.m. in Santa Ana at the Plaza of the Flags at Santa Ana Boulevard and Flower Street.
Although there are differences of opinion among those participating in the marches, there is general support for reform that would include a path toward legalization for the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States. The vast majority oppose a bill the House of Representatives passed in December that would criminalize undocumented immigrants and those who help them. The bill would also beef up enforcement at the border, including adding 700 miles of fencing.
