City officials are bracing for thousands of marchers to converge Tuesday on Central Los Angeles in two separate May Day rallies for immigration reform and labor rights, gatherings that are stirring anticipation among immigrant-rights advocates but anxiety, even anger, among some business owners.
Although organizers predict much smaller crowds than the roughly 650,000 who participated last year, city officials are nevertheless urging the public to avoid downtown, where one of the events will occur. They are warning that the downtown march will snarl traffic for hours, disrupt more than 60 bus lines and halt some public business, including the high-profile murder trial of music producer Phil Spector. City managers have been asked to allow employees to take vacation days or work from alternative sites.
Organizers say much of the anger that motivated marchers nationwide last year was alleviated after congressional legislation that would have criminalized illegal immigrants and toughened border enforcement failed to win passage.
"Last year was a once-in-a-lifetime mobilization," said Mike Garcia, president of Local 1877 of the Service Employees International Union in Los Angeles. "We wanted to show the willingness of immigrants to march across the country for their rights. This year, people are focusing on the work of voter registration and civic participation."
Organizers have said on their official march permits this year that they expect crowds of about 100,000 downtown and 15,000 for the other event, a couple of miles to the west.
But transportation and law enforcement officials are still bracing for the downtown march to be Los Angeles' largest so far this year and are planning for as many as 500,000 participants, said city transportation official Marco Arroyo.
The city's street closure plans have prompted numerous complaints from hotels, merchants and other businesses, officials said. The closures will begin about 8 a.m. Tuesday, forcing buses on 17 downtown streets to detour and drop off passengers several blocks from their usual destinations. Light-rail service will be increased.
"It's a mess," said Don Baumgartner, special events coordinator for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates bus and rail service.
Rallies and boycotts are expected to take place around the nation as well, but March 25 Coalition spokesman Javier Rodriguez said the number of participating cities was expected to fall by half to about 75 this year.
