Half a million march against tightening US immigration rules

Protesters flood the main avenues of Los Angeles Saturday demanding amnesty for undocumented immigrants and rejection of a proposed law that would drastically tighten US immigration rules. PHOTO: AFP

A sea of people, many wearing white T-shirts and waving US flags and flags of their nations of origin -- especially Mexico -- flooded the main Los Angeles avenues in a peaceful and sometimes festive protest.

Some marchers blasted trumpets and played Mexican mariachi tunes, while others waved signs and handed out flyers detailing "immigrant rights".

"We have got to stop the approval of anti-immigrant reforms, demand a migration reform that is humane and fair, and not racist," said Javier Rodriguez of the March 25 Coalition, which organised the event.

The Coalition represents dozens of pro-immigrant groups as well as farmer, labour, religious and student groups.

To the cry of "Amnesty for all!" the crowd surged towards the office of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, where they heard from the mayor and other community leaders.

At the height of the rally there were "at least 500,000 people," said Sarah Faden with the Los Angeles Police Department.

LAPD Sergeant J. Baker was stunned by the size of the crowd. "I have never seen a demonstration this big in years and years here in LA," he said.

One protest organiser, Nativo Lopez of the Mexican American Political Association (MAPA), put the crowd at more than a million spread out across the city.

The rally began soon after President George W. Bush defended his plan to regularise some of the undocumented workers in his weekly radio address.

"America is a nation of immigrants, and we're also a nation of laws. And our immigration laws are in need of reform," said Bush.