¡Todos somos Arizona!

WHEN TENS of thousands of immigrants and their supporters took to the streets on May 1--150,000 in Los Angeles, 65,000 in Milwaukee, 20,000 in Chicago and many more in other cities across the country--there was a common sentiment: "Todos somos Arizona."

We are all Arizona.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer's signing of radically anti-immigrant legislation last week sparked defiant demonstrations for May Day, as people of all ages, races and immigration statuses came together to opposed a law that would encourage racial profiling and the harassment of anyone "suspected" of being undocumented.

Countering the divide-and-conquer mentality of Arizona legislators who pushed through SB 1070--and the right-wing immigrant bashers whose politics they mimic--solidarity was the theme of the day on May 1.

As another popular slogan went, "Nos somos ilegales." We are all illegal.

In 2006, a federal anti-immigrant proposal sponsored by Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) sparked outrage and activism. Hundreds of thousands of immigrants took to the streets in March and April, leading up to the mega-marches of May 1. Immigrant workers and their families breathed new life into the international workers holiday that until then was hardly ever celebrated in the U.S., even though it was born here.

Though they weren't as large as 2006, this year's protests were bigger than the last few years, as many people heard about what happened in Arizona and said: Enough is enough.

In addition to the outrages in Arizona, many protesters had something else on their minds: foot-dragging on immigration reform in Washington. The massive march in Chicago was peppered with signs directed at President Barack Obama and Congress, such as "Obama: We Need Immigration Reform Now" or simply "Los Amigos Mantienen Las Promesas" (Friends Keep Their Promises).

Other protesters came with demands going beyond the kind of reform bills that Congress is considering, which attempt to strike a bargain by including provisions that would increase the criminalization and exploitation of immigrants through border militarization and guest-worker programs.

These protesters demanded "Deport ICE!" referring to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency--as well as "No human being is illegal" and "For a world without borders."

Los Angeles had the largest turnout on May Day, with more than 150,000 people gathering for the mile-long march to rally for immigration reform and workers' rights.

Families, unionists and other activists came out in solidarity with Arizona, carrying banners stating "We are all Arizona" and chanting "Aquí estamos y no nos vamos!" (We're here and we're not leaving.)

Contingents included the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which brought hundreds of their members on buses; the Southern California Immigration Coalition, which marched holding flags from various nations; and members of Filipinos for Genuine Legalization.

American Apparel workers from the nearby downtown factory marched in a contingent of over 500 and gave away shirts that read "Legalize LA Immigration Reform Now."

A lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) contingent marched to demand that the federal government grant same-sex families the same immigration rights as heterosexual couples when one member of the couple is a U.S. citizen. One marcher said that they were fighting for immigrant rights because the LGBT community "knows what it is like to be discriminated against."

At the end of the march, a speaker from the Teamsters called on union members "to stand with our brothers and sisters to fight for immigrant rights because we are the backbone of this country...we built this country."

An SEIU representative informed the crowd that Meg Whitman, who is running for governor of California, is against amnesty and immigration reform: "Racism does not stop in Arizona, it flows into our streets and schools. We have a fight in Arizona and in California, and must win immigration reform now."

Singer Gloria Estefan kicked off the march, and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Cardinal Roger Mahony were also among the speakers.

Overall, the sentiment of the day was solidarity among many different communities in a united fight for equal rights and against the racist Arizona law and lack of immigration reform promised by Obama.

In Milwaukee, Wis., home of anti-immigrant Rep. James Sensenbrenner, 65,000 people marched, according to organizers. Speakers warned that seven other states are considering enacting laws like the one passed in Arizona and called on everyone to stand up.

"We want to send a message of solidarity and humanity against hatred and intolerance," Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera, told the crowd. "This has opened a new chapter in the struggle for civil rights. We will not have the forces of hate and bigotry use immigrants as scapegoats for the economy and loss of jobs."

She said that a local alderman is planning to introduce a resolution May 3 that will ask the Common Council to consider a boycott by not doing business with Arizona-based companies or attending meetings or conferences in that state in protest of the new law.

A dumpster fire, suspected to have been started by anti-immigrant bigots, interrupted the speakers, almost starting a building on fire and forcing the march to start early.

In Chicago, immigrants and their families were so eager to march that hundreds turned out an hour before the rally was scheduled to begin. They passed around a bullhorn and shared their stories with one another, sometimes breaking into tears--about friends and family members who have faced deportation.

After listening to speakers at Union Park, some 20,000 protesters, according to organizers, crowded into the streets and marched downtown to Daley Plaza, which was filled to capacity long before the last marcher arrived. Members of the Immigrant Youth Justice League (IYJL), who are undocumented, spoke out from the stage, as did march organizers from the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.

Rev. Jesse Jackson asked protesters to boycott Arizona by not vacationing or attending conventions, and called for the state to lose the 2011 Major League All-Star game.

During the march downtown, protesters chanted, cheered, blew horns and smiled at one another as they took over the downtown streets, chanting "Sí se puede!" and waving American and Mexican flags, banners and homemade signs.

The Comité 10 de Marzo made up signs that left space at the bottom for marchers to put their own message. Some people wrote "Shame on Arizona"; others demanded "Stop breaking up our families."

Smaller contingents made up of other immigrant groups, including Poles and Africans, marched, as did trade unions such as UNITE HERE, SEIU and the Teamsters Local 743. There were contingents from LGBT organizations, like Join the Impact, underlining the importance of coming together to fight as one. IYJL marched behind a huge banner that read "Undocumented. Unafraid."

But for the most part, the march was made up of people--students, workers and families--who heard about the march through word of mouth, and wanted to stand up and be counted. "I was so worried and so sad about what happened in Arizona," one man said. "Could it happen anywhere?"

In Seattle, chants of "Boycott Arizona!" and "Sí se puede!" carried through the crowd of almost 10,000. Everyone--from student anti-budget cuts groups to immigrant rights activists to labor unions--came together in support of immigrants rights and against the recent passage of Arizona SB 1070.

Galvanized by the legalization of racial profiling in Arizona, one group of marchers wore T-shirts that asked "Do I look illegal?" Cars honked in support as the crowd snaked through downtown.

In Yakima, in rural eastern Washington, several thousand rallied. Other small vigils and rallies were held throughout the state.

In Houston, Texas, police estimated that 8,000 people turned out for the May Day march for dignity and respect for all. Organizations from all over the metropolitan area united to show support for immigrants' rights.

Amid chants of "El pueblo unido jamás sera vencido" and "Pueblo Unete," people in the community dropped what they were doing and joined in the march. Workers at a McDonalds came out into the street to show solidarity by providing free water to protesters.

"It's encouraging to see so many people out for immigration after an increase in oppression," said protester Brendan Laws. "This shows the strength of our community."

Professor Lorenzo Cano said, "This march is necessary to fix the immigration laws and provide an opportunity to those who are undocumented in this country, who in fact are contributing to our country as they represent a solution, not a problem."

In San Francisco, some 6,000 people turned out for a May Day march and rally--nearly double the number many organizers had expected and far larger than last year's march.

The main demands of the march were full legalization and amnesty, money for jobs and education, not for war, taxing the rich, and no more budget cuts. Anger at Arizona's SB 1070 was high, and played a significant role in putting people back into the streets for this May Day.

The march stretched for over four city blocks, and there were many contingents representing labor, immigrant rights groups, LGBT rights coalitions, political organizations, community organizers and budget cuts activists.

A group of 12-15 racist Minutemen came to hurl insults at the marchers, but they were dwarfed by the size of the pro-immigrant rights march.

In New York City, more than 5,000 people rallied in Union Square and marched down Broadway to Foley Square to demand immigrant rights and stand in solidarity with their brothers and sisters in Arizona.

"We believe hate and racism should be outlawed," said one speaker. "We believe immigration reform should not be about criminalization. We believe immigration reform should not be about militarization. We believe immigration reforms should be about human rights."

The rally adopted the slogans "Boycott Arizona" and "Beat back the Arizona attack" in addition to its original demands of full legalization for all immigrants and equal rights for all workers.

Organized by the grassroots May 1st Coalition, the crowd was made up of unions, community organizations and individuals. "I was looking around online after hearing about Arizona, and I found this," said Marisol, a student at City College, "so I called up a friend, and we came out."

Emma, who heard about the rally through leaflets distributed in her neighborhood, said, "It's terrible that this happened in America. It's obvious the law is racist, how could they do this?"

Angry slogans carried the day as the crowd grew in size. Chanters alternated with speakers and radical music groups for several hours. At three, the crowd stepped off to march down Broadway and rally at Foley Square, near City Hall, where speeches and chanting continued.

"Rallies are fine, but to stop laws like Arizona, we're going to have to shut it down!" said Clarence Thomas of San Francisco's International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 10 from the stage.

Felipe, a union restaurant worker and veteran of the massive 2006 protests that defeated the Sensenbrenner bill, said of the May Day strikes that year: "We don't run the country, but without us, the country wouldn't run."

In Washington, D.C., a couple thousand people came out to Lafayette Park in front of the White House to rally on May 1. Standing in solidarity with people of color who will be most affected by Arizona's new law, protesters held signs that read, "Shame on Arizona."

Speakers throughout the day called on the president to fulfill his promise to pass comprehensive immigration reform. Some pointed out that, contrary to popular belief, deportations have actually increased under the Obama administration. Speakers made it clear that this is only the beginning of the fight for immigration reform.

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), who has introduced the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act (CIR ASAP) in the House of Representatives, was one of the final speakers. Throughout his speech, he alluded to the importance of civil disobedience in the fight for civil rights, mentioning the history of women's rights, African American rights, worker's rights and all the movements in the U.S. that have fought for justice.

The rally then moved from the park to directly in front of the White House, where more than 35 people, including Gutierrez, were involved in civil disobedience by sitting in front of the fence of the White House and holding printed-out letters that spelled "Obama Stop Deporting Families." After about 30 minutes, they were arrested.

In Austin, Texas, thousands of protesters rallied in the sweltering heat. Republican state legislator Debbie Riddle has announced plans to propose identical legislation to Arizona's SB 1070 for Texas in 2011.

Marchers also called out the Obama administration, with chants like "Obama, escucha, estamos en la lucha!" The crowd was also heavily made up of young Latinos, and passage of the DREAM Act was a major demand. As a speaker from the front put it, "We need education, not deportation!"

In Rochester, N.Y., more than 100 turned out for a rally and march downtown for May Day. Planned over a month ahead of time, the march's slogans were "Bail Out Workers, Not the Banks" and "Equal Rights for All Workers." However, the events in Arizona made immigrant rights the real focus of the march's chants, signs and energy. The march was very young, with a number of Hispanic college fraternities bringing out their chapters.