Immigration-rights protesters close down Wilshire Boulevard

Immigration-rights protesters blocked Wilshire Boulevard in a protest over Arizona's controversial immigration law.

About 200 demonstrators laid down on Wilshire at Highland Avenue at about 10 a.m., blocking traffic on both major streets.

The Los Angeles Police Department was on scene, but it was unclear whether officers were going to arrest the demonstrators.

The protest is the latest in L.A. to criticize Arizona's immigration law. Last month, demonstrators blocked traffic in downtown L.A. and in Westwood.

Organizers from Todos Somos Arizona released a photo showing the Wilshire Boulevard protest.

-- Andrew Blankstein

Photo: Protesters with the group We Are All Arizona lay in the street blocking traffic at the intersection of Highland Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles. Credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times

RELATED:

Arizona activists take to the streets to protest immigration policy

Comments

[John]

If all the illegals went back wherever they came from, not only would wages for citizens & legal aliens alike rise, but housing costs would fall. This has never been about race - it is about LEGAL STATUS, regardless of race.

[isaac]

Some people want attention for themselves.

[POd]

Illegal is not a race! It is a Crime!

Illegal immigrants are the elephant in the room that nobody is paying attention to. I guess laws are a suggestion not a standard to abide by. Let's all start breaking the law and maybe the politicians will finally get it. What is being created is a path to anarchy.
Amnesty is a widespread invitation to ask for more illegal immigrants. You people who are pro-amnesty are un-American.

[Rick]

Dear Short Sided readers,
Immigration is a national issue. Protests throughout the country draw public attention to the entire subject. This is about more than just Arizona, its about getting our national government to stand up and act to both protect our borders, AND create a useful legal mechanism to regularize status of our undocumented workers...

If you are really upset about traffic, call your representatives and tell them you want national action....

Regards,
--Rick

[Missy]

I got stuck in the traffic caused by this stupid protest on my way to WORK. Where I pay TAXES. And earn money to pay my mortgage and PROPERTY TAXES. For what? To help pay for illegals to get free education, welfare, food stamps, Section 8 housing, medical care, ER visits, etc.? Good thing I work so hard.

And no, I'm not a right wing Republican. I'm a registered Democrat who is fed up.

[Paul Revere]

Are these all unemployed welfare recipients sucking off the state using the cash strapped police forces for their stupid games? I guess all the morons who got bussed to Arizona are all leeches also who will be returning except the ones arrested to pick up there welfare checks also because it is obvious they are not employed either. The state of Arizona should bill LA for their time!

[Paul Revere]

Socialism deserves no compassion!

[Mary Jones]

Wow typical selfish Americans...you are so important you have given up human rights, basic decency, any sense of reality when it comes to paying a fair wage, and kissing the butts of the capitalist cow to give heil to the rich. Happily your type of American is becoming less dominant as your citizens are waking up and seeing you for what you are. What would happen if these protestors were to show up with guns like those white right wingers at an Obama Speech in Arizona in 2009? They would be hauled off as terrorists while you lauded those nut bags as showing the right to bear arms. The world is watching.

[Clare]

Uh, they blocked traffic in L.A. because of an Arizona law? Yeah, that makes so much sense.

[Larry805]

The police should immediately be on-scene to break up this ridiculous display of civil disobedience. Either that or let the drivers waiting at the light go forward and create their own version of Death Race 2000.

[LLSinSCV]

My FB friend Kelly F of Canada wrote the following:

"Oh, for crying out loud - shouldn't these university socialists be working at their summer jobs to pay for their tuition (in order to be indoctrinated by the lefty professors for another semester?)

Reminds me of last summer when the Tamil Tiger sympathizers shut down the Gardner Expressway in Toronto. They used children as human shields, though."
--------------
My reply:
The summer jobs? These people? Naaaah.
The jobs have been all gobbled up by ILLEGAL aliens who work cheaply and OFF the books and pay NO income taxes, then can go claim low income and below poverty level income (since there's no paper trail) and they get WELFARE & SUBSIDIZED HOUSING, etc, etc - we American taxpayers get screwed... and these STUPID IDEALIST SOCIALISTS are oblivious to it all.

[Trover]

Not sure if this is going to accomplish much; nevertheless, it is wonderful to see people taking to the streets in generally peaceful protest. Now, if only we could do the same against the Bush/Obama wars!

[Paul Revere]

The lemmings in sunbathing in the streets must be welfare leeches with no jobs. The ones being bussed to Arizona must be the same. Arizona police department should bill the city of LA for just being stupid!

[Paul Revere]

Lemmings of the Socialist party need to stay in their own state and deal with their own problems. Wonder if these are state employees on furlough being bussed to Arizona.

[FreeTexan]

Looks like a good time to call ICE.

Every citizen gets checked for drivers license, insurance and registration at a traffic stop. Then they go back and check for warrants. They should simply check immigration status every time. If you're here illegally, a chip or a prison type tattoo is in order. Don't come back a second time.

[alivat222]

What about my "rights" as a commuter to not have these idiots disrupting LA streets?

[Brent Daniel]

I have an idea, why don't we just eliminate borders all over the country, and just let whoever wants in to come in. Terrorists and all! Protesters think our way of life and values is not conducive to the less fortunate from other countries. Their tune would change if anyone were allowed to come in, which would cause our economy to fall even further because of all the money that would be no longer spent in the US, and also another bomb that could go off and kill more innocent Americans. If you are not going to enforce the immigration and status laws, what's the point of having borders in the first place? Ohhh yea, to protect the American people!!!

[Trover]

Response to Shell:

Trite but true: If every undocumented individual of working age in the greater LA area stayed home for a week... this would equal NO MAIDS/HOUSEKEEPERS/GROUNDS KEEPERS/KITCHEN HELP/HOTEL HELP/CONSTRUCTION LABOR...et al. And guess what? The entire LA economy/including Holmby Hills/Westwood/ Brentwood, etc. would grind to a halt!When these individuals work, these individuals are paid in US dollars and these individuals purchase goods and services, which are taxed! Shell, open your eyes! I am not saying this is a good situation, but when did you or your kids do any of the above jobs? Try never. My brothers worked for my dad's construction company in the 60s when $3.50 per hour was a good wage. Show me any white kids or for that matter, black kids today who will work for minimum wage at the burger joints, the car washes, garden jobs; not many if any. Sad but true, we need cheap labor to keep the economy running. In the 40s 50 & 60s, it was the good black women who cared for the children of the white families/ not any more... this is the job of the undocumented women from south of our border.These godd people..most of them are..come here for a better life...

[howardx]

i wonder if any of you californian supporters of sb1070 have stopped to consider just where most of the undocumented are going to move? right in your own backyards for which you can thank the unelected jan brewer and her private prison lobbyist/advisors.

[gary]

this is what obama wants.read between the lines.

[Jim]

How about everyone lobbing water ballons at them

[steve]

I'll bet a little pepper spray would get them up and out of the street.

[Diane]

I always hear the argument that people won't do the jobs the illegal immigrants do. Take a trip to Oregon or Minnesota look at who cleans the rooms of the hotels and cooks in the kitchen or both fastfood and other restaurants.

[Elizabethdawn]

FYI: these people were protesting outside of Wackenhut, a private securities company that gets tax dollars to detain and deport immigrants. SB 1070 gives this company a wider berth to enforce an unfair law. Wackenhut stands to profit financially from Arizona's racially-biased law. The protesters were acting in solidarity with those who will suffer the most from SB 1070.

[Ken]

Easy solution would have been to flip them all to the center face down, then have two officers per person lift them and and carry them under their arms at once to the side of the road and deal with the idiots there. Perhaps arrest them and transfer them to Sheriff Joe's pink palace jail in AZ.
That would be awesome!