White Boy/White Dog Move To Skid Row

Certified Beach Dude Moves To Downtown Los Angeles

I just got back from my 6pm White Dog walk, as the “May Day Immigration March” was winding down (they have a permit until 8pm at the 1st and Broadway site, but it appears it will be over by then).  The streets were opening up, traffic was bad, but not too much worse than a normal rush hour.  There were still TONS of police cars, many lined up on the side streets blocks away from the actual march, and half-a-dozen or so helicopters buzzing overhead still (police and TV), but it was peaceful, and everyone seemed to have a smile on their face.

It put a smile on my face too- this is the way a protest march should work.  It seems like the immense planning of both the LAPD and the march coordinators, and the communications between them, payed-off in spades.  It’s still unclear to me as to why this massive street closure event was allowed on a weekday.  Oh, and I was affected terribly- I tried to get a haircut today but my stylist didn’t open his shop due to thinking he might not be able to leave until 9pm or so like previous events- poor me.

Of course the turnout was lower than anticipated (it always is for any event or march in the year I’ve lived here- but it doesn’t take many people to cause a problem).  LAPD is reporting around 6,000 people, organizers claim 50,000, and the truth will never be known for sure.  Even the Mayor did not show; 2 years ago he made a huge speach to the crowd, last year I think he may have waved at the crowd, and this year he hibernated in his office doing “important things” while many of his constituants were outside asking for change in the immigration process- something that would allow many of these folks to vote for the first time.

I am all for immigration- in a controlled and legal fashion.  And I am not against finding a fair and reasonable way for some of the “undocumented workers” to become legal citizens.  But I don’t think people that are here illegally should jump ahead of the people who are waiting patiently in their country for their number to be called, so that they can move to the U.S. and become citizens.  I feel strongly about this- my last 3 serious girlfriends have all been born outside the U.S. (Phillapines, China, and Vietnam).  Their parents struggled to get to the U.S.- their families were seperated, at times for years, but they persevered, learned the language, started business or got jobs, and followed the rules.

Unfortunately, all the “Immigration Reform” talk I hear is about primarily helping Mexican citizens, and then about other Central and South American citizens.  I think reform should take into account all countries- I’m sure there are many people in Vietnam that would love to come here, and would take employment for minimum wage to get started, but they don’t have the luxury of just crossing an imaginary line drawn in the desert- our southern border.

Ok- I’m off my soapbox.  But another way this protest affects downtown residents is that civil disturbance or violence downtown will affect property values- this is not hard to figure out.  It actually made me proud to be a downtown resident today, seeing such coorporation from LAPD and a potentially militant protest march.

 EDIT:  Go check out the amazing photos that Don Garza posted on his site Central City East. 

Now I hope “Central Division Cop” will see this and leave a comment or two about his experiences today…