Anti-Racist Protestors Defeat the Minutemen in LA
Amnesty Now! Full Rights for All Immigrants!

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On Sunday, May 21, around 300 pro-immigrant protestors, including a very large delegation from the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition, demonstrated against around 50 to 60 members and supporters of the racist Minuteman project in downtown Los Angeles. The Minutemen had called a "Civil Rights" march to begin at Olympic and Broadway, the historic starting point of many immigrant rights and anti-war protests in recent months and years. Dubbing their hateful action a march for "Civil Rights" was an outrageous lie. Their sole aim is to prevent immigrants from gaining the Civil Rights they deserve.

As the Minutemen started their procession, guarded by dozens of riot police, anti-racist protestors swarmed around them on both sides of the street, chanting loudly and holding pro-immigrant signs and banners. The thousands of mostly Latino shoppers and passersby showed their support for the anti-Minutemen action, many of whom chanted with the pro-immigrant protestors and even joined us as we marched up Broadway to City Hall. Chants in English and Spanish like "Down with the Minutemen! Up with the people!" and "Minutemen racistas, son los terroristas!" rang out, drowning out the pathetic taunts of the racist Minutemen.

The multinational crowd of progressives showed their strength and unity against racism. While the Minutemen carried hateful signs calling immigrants "illegal," progressive banners read "Alto a la guerra contra los inmigrantes," "Say NO to racism," "Amistía," "The workers struggle has no borders" and more.

The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition prepared for the anti-Minutemen action by passing out thousands of flyers downtown in the days leading up to the protest. During the march, A.N.S.W.E.R. activists passed out thousands more flyers to notify the people in the area about what was happening and urging them to support the protest against the Minutemen racists.

After the march reached City Hall and many Minutemen had fled the area, the people declared victory over the racist forces in downtown LA. Protestors left with a feeling of shared struggle against the right-wing criminals who are working with the Bush administration, other ruling class politicians and Corporate America in a coordinated attempt to stop the immigrant struggle for full equality.

The anti-Minutemen protest was featured prominently on local television and print media outlets, including the LA Times, NBC, CBS, Telemundo and Unavision. The LA-based Spanish-language daily La Opinión has a featured story in Monday's edition about the protest. Read the La Opinión report.

The people united will never be defeated! El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!

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