Thousands participated in a “Stop the Hate, Stop the Raids” march and rally Oct. 4 in Downtown Los Angeles, starting at the Sixth Street Bridge and ending in front of the Japanese American Nationsl Museum in Little Tokyo, where there was a recent show of force by ICE and Customs & Border Protection, and where many Japanese Americans were forced to assemble during World War II to be taken to concentration camps. Amy Oba spoke for Nikkei Progressives and Erich Nakano represented Little Tokyo Service Center at the concluding rally.
“Billions of tax dollars become available this October to supercahrge the immigration enforcement machine now that the Supreme Court has handed ICE a blank check to racially discriminate while our communities lose union contracts, access to healthcare, and funding to education,” organizers said. “We’re not going to stand idly by. This is one struggle, one fight.”
Sponsors included L.A. County Federation of Labor, SEIU, Unite Here Local 11, UTLA, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, Central American Resource Center, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice, Pilipino Workers Center, LTSC and Nikkei Progressives.