On March 7, 30,000 to 40,000 Latino immigrants streamed out of subway trains and dozens and dozens of buses from every corner of Washington, DC, and the surrounding area. Groups from workplaces came in uniform. Day laborers, hotel workers, construction workers, church congregations, high school and college students, and families from Maryland and Virginia were there.

DC Immigrants March
Revolution #040, March 26, 2006, posted at revcom.us

On March 7, 30,000 to 40,000 Latino immigrants streamed out of subway trains and dozens and dozens of buses from every corner of Washington, DC, and the surrounding area. Groups from workplaces came in uniform. Day laborers, hotel workers, construction workers, church congregations, high school and college students, and families from Maryland and Virginia were there. They filled the huge area in front of the Capitol Building to demand that the draconian anti-immigration bill HR4437 be struck down. The turnout exceeded organizers’ expectations by at least 10,000 people. News of the turnout undoubtedly contributed to the unprecedented outpouring of up to half a million people in Chicago a few days later.

This rally gave expression to a deep and broad stream of discontent and growing desire to resist that is bursting out into the open in immigrant communities. People want answers— Are immigrants doomed to be forever hounded and exploited or is something far different possible? A group of workers held a large hand-lettered banner: “Why are you attacking the workers who do the work others do not want to do?