One million hit the streets to demand Justice for Immigrants; Preliminary report from New York City's Great American Boycott

May 1, 2006--More than 1 million immigrants and supporters skipped work and school and took to the streets of New York City today in support of immigration rights.

As the day began, many businesses throughout the region remained closed, as owners observed the May 1 Great American Boycott -- a day of no work, no School, no shopping, and no selling.

More than 2,000 students walked out of CUNY schools and rallied in Washington Square Park before marching to Union Square.

Although the rally in Union Square was scheduled to begin at 4:00 pm, by 2:00 pm the Park was already packed to capacity.

By 4:00 pm, the crowd had begun to spill into the streets.

Speakers included: Jesse Jackson, City Council members Charles Barron and Kendall Stewart, Siu Hin Lee of the National May 1 Network in Los Angeles, Hector Castillo of Organaziones Communitaras del Bronx, Carlos Canales of the Long Island Workplace Project, Berna Ellorin of the Justice for Philippines Coalition, Michael Andrade Lalan of Break the Chains Alliance/Nat'l Mobilization Against Sweatshops, Nellie Bailey of the Harlem Tenants Council, Victor Toro of La Pena del Bronx, Brenda Stokley of the Million Worker March, Roger Touissant of the TWU, Rev. Al Sharpton, Rev. Luis Barrios, Larry Holmes of the International Action Center, actress Susan Sarandon, Chuck Mohan of the Guyanese Workers United, and many other represesentatives of immigrant, labor, and community organizations.

Roger Touissant, recently released from jail for defending transit workers' pensions, was greeted with thunderous applause and shouts of "TWU! TWU!" Touissant stressed the link between attacks on immigrants and attacks on unions.

Speakers unanimously called for amnesty and denounced the racist, anti-immigrant legislation in Washington.

Many linked the struggle against the war with the struggle for immigrant rights, with several saying, "Immigrants are not criminals, Bush is a criminal."

As the rally continued, thousands continued to pour into Union Square, filling the surrounding streets and sidewalks as far north as 18th St. Arial shots show a crowd far overflowing the entire Union Square and surrounding streets. Because of the intense crush of people it bacame a safety issue and the march stepped off before 5pm rather than the scheduled 6pm.

The spirited march heades south on Broadway to Fulton Sq., directly behind the Federal Building, home of the Department of Homeland Security, INS, and FEMA.

As the march reached Foley Square and the closing rally began, many thousands in Union Square had not even begun the march.

The march stretched nearly 3 miles and over 25 blocks from Union Square to Foley square. As the front of the march was reaching Foley Square it was still coming out of Union Square.

It was literally wall to wall on the streets including sidewalks on both sides and the entire street. The end of the march did not reach Foley square until after 8:30 pm.

The massive turnout of more than a million people today is was the result of a grass-roots, immigrant-led effort, with a total budget of less than $10,000.

The coalition that organized today's rally and march, the NYC May 1 Coalition, announced that it plans to continue to build on the success of the day, and is holding a planning meeting this Wednesday, May 3, and Teamsters Local 808 in Long Island City. A regional conference is also planned for June 17 in NYC.