May 02--Traffic snarled in downtown Los Angeles on Friday afternoon as street closures took effect for a May Day rally demanding immigration reform and higher minimum wages.
As the afternoon commute began, it took one commuter nearly an hour to get from the 101 Freeway and 4th Street in Boyle Heights to the City Hall area. Street closures are in effect along a huge stretch of downtown, from Union Station and Chinatown, crossing the 101 Freeway, all the way down to Broadway and Olympic Boulevard.
The protests have been peaceful, said LAPD spokesman Abraham Nesheiwat.
One march route is on Broadway heading from Olympic Boulevard to Grand Park. Another route starts in Chinatown at Broadway, heads east on Cesar Chavez Avenue, then south on Main Street, then east on Aliso and Alameda streets before looping west on Temple Street and ending at Grand Park.
Thousands of people marched in a call for fair wages, rights for immigrants and an end to police brutality.
Protesters at the May Day rallies were demanding that all workers get a $15-an-hour wage and an end to delays surrounding deferred actions for immigrant parents of American children and lawful residents.
Members of the Los Angeles chapter of the Black Lives Matter movement also called for an end to police brutality in the wake of several controversial police killings nationwide.
Both rallies were set to start at 3 p.m., end at Grand Park in the 5 o'clock hour and disband by 7 p.m. The Chinatown rally began marching at 4:30 p.m.
Los Angeles police plan to monitor the demonstration and have staffed enough officers to respond to any incidents.
"We are just going to be monitoring and making sure to give everyone space to exercise their 1st Amendment right," Officer Norma Eisenman said.
Kevin Maiberger, an LAPD spokesman, confirmed Friday afternoon that the department was on a citywide tactical alert as a "precautionary measure" for the May Day demonstrations.
Jocelyn Cortes, 19, of East L.A., and Jonhatan Revollo, 22, of El Monte, said they hope their presence at the march would help put an end to discrimination and police brutality.
"By us coming here, we encourage them to speak up and show them we do have rights," Revollo said. "We are able to come here and march and have our voices be heard."
Activists are calling for a minimum wage increase so low-wage workers could have enough to pay for rising food and housing costs. But business owners against the increase say it could push businesses out of Los Angeles County.
Protesters fighting for immigrants' rights want an end to a series of challenges that have delayed President Obama's executive action to protect up to 5 million people from deportation.
The Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Legal Permanent Residents was scheduled to start in May. The Obama administration has also proposed extension of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Laura Aguilar, 54, who with her six daughters joined the crowd at Cesar Chavez and Broadway, said she's concerned about deportations.
"It's not just that they've deported so many people," said Aguilar, who obtained her citizenship three years ago. "They should give what Obama promised or find another way to stop the deportations."
UPDATES
4:45 p.m.: This story has been updated with information on traffic issues.
2:58 p.m.: This story has been updated with interviews with May Day participants.
12:24 p.m.: This story was updated with news that the Los Angeles Police Department was on a citywide tactical alert for the demonstrations.
This story was originally published at 10:40 a.m.
