“We Won’t Be Silent”: Immigrant Rights Groups Protest Raids with Marches and Boycotts

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Immigrant rights advocates are taking to the streets of Los Angeles Tuesday for what they’re calling “24 hours of community stoppage,” which includes boycotting various businesses over the recent immigration raids.

The action, which began at midnight, was organized by several groups, including the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles (CHIRLA), Service Employees International Union Local 721, Central American Resource Center of Los Angeles and the Garment Worker Center.

Participants were urged to join events scheduled throughout the day and to support individuals and families affected by immigration raids. The coalition also called for a boycott of The Home Depot, Target, Walmart and fast food restaurants.

“We’re sending an economic message that we have power, that we can also impact the economy,” said Jorge-Mario Cabrera, a spokesperson for CHIRLA. “We want to make sure they also stand by the side of their consumers, who are immigrants, and immigrants right now are suffering, they’re being terrorized by the racist, anti-immigrant policies of this government.”

Participants were expected Tuesday afternoon to march from MacArthur Park to the county Hall of Administration. At 5 p.m. rally was also planned at Placita Olvera (Olvera Street), followed by a march to the downtown federal detention center, where a vigil will be held.

“We’re here united to say, ‘Hey, we’re no longer going to stand for these big corporations that won’t speak out against what’s going on with this administration,” said Simboa Wright, a member of SEIU 721.

Plans for the community stoppage were announced last week at a news conference at MacArthur Park. The announcement came a day after ICE and the Department of Homeland Security conducted a raid at a Home Depot on Wilshire Boulevard, where agents hid in a Penske truck and descended on workers at the site.