Asia-Pacific
100,000 people expected for May Day march in LA
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-04-30 09:52
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LOS ANGELES - As many as 100,000 people are expected for this year's May Day march in downtown Los Angeles Saturday, voicing their opposition against a new immigration measure the Arizona governor has signed into law.
Los Angeles Police Department(LAPD) Deputy Chief Jose Perez Jr. said on Thursday that the department initially expected 60,000 people to participate in the May Day march, but now that number has swelled to 100,000.
The department will be at maximum deployment across the city, Perez said.
Under the Arizona bill that Governor Jan Brewer signed into law, law enforcement personnel are empowered to inquire about people's immigration status and makes it a crime for illegal immigrants to be in the state.
If individual fail to produce legal documents, he or she could be jailed for up to six months and fined at least $500 dollars. The law is expected to take effect in late July or early August.
On Thursday, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa called on Angelenos to join the march to show solidarity against the Arizona law. He urged participants to wear white shirts and wave the American flag.
"The Arizona law is not only misguided, it is unpatriotic and unconstitutional," Villaraigosa said at a City Hall news conference. "It requires all law enforcement officers to stop anyone suspected of being in our country illegally. It allows law enforcement to make arrests without a warrant."
Participants at Saturday's rally are expected to begin assembling as early as 6 am (0100 GMT) on Broadway between 11th Street and Olympic Boulevard. And the march is expected to begin at 11 am (0600 GMT), going north on Broadway and ending between First and Temple streets, city officials said.
A second rally is also expected to take place late in the afternnon in Westwood area.
LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said he expects Saturday's march and rally to be peaceful, devoid of the clashes between participants, police and news media that marred the 2007 event in MacArthur Park.
Dozens of protesters and journalists were injured as officers cleared the park. The city paid more than $13 million to settle the litigation.
