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GUESTS: Natino Lopez, National Director of Hermandad Mexicana Latino America, and National President of Mexican American Political Association, Miguel Lopez, Port Representative of the Teamsters Union, Anjelica Salas, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights in Los Angeles

With more than a month of nation wide actions to protest House Bill 4437, immigrant communities are gearing up for a national day of action next Monday, which is May Day. Actions will vary from staying home from work, joining a march or not spending any money. Organizers started out calling May Day as a National Day Without Immigrants, general strike and boycott. But leaders like Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and church leaders suggested a less radical political approach. Additionally, many immigrant workers fear losing their jobs if they walked out. Commercial spanish language DJs who helped mobilize hundreds of thousands of people to the streets on March 25th, have also toned down their rhetoric. They are urging listeners to join peaceful after-work protests for fear that a walkout could trigger animosity from politicians and the public. The movements in LA are reflected at the national level. At an April 20 press conference in Washington, representatives of some of the major immigrant rights organizations agreed to not call for a boycott on May 1st, but neither would they necessarily criticize those who are encouraging a boycott.

There will be a march on May 1st on the corner of Olympic and Broadway at 12 noon. Download the flyer here: [English][Spanish].

There will also be a march scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. at MacArthur Park and will continue on Wilshire Boulevard to the La Brea Tar Pits, where a rally will celebrate the day of the worker.

For a list of national and local May Day events, please click here