Orange County saw several immigrant-rights rallies on Monday. As expected, the rallies drew several thousand people, though they were much smaller than others in neighboring Los Angeles.
The rallies in downtown Santa Ana were expected to continue until early evening. There were at least five rallies set for Monday.
Service union workers in SEIU Local 1877 were set to march to the Civic Center from 1516 Sycamore Blvd. to join other rallies.
Hispanic activists want changes to the country’s immigration laws.
Activists have called for students and workers to cut school and work to attend the rallies. They also want a boycott of businesses to show the economic power of illegal residents.
Rallies in neighboring Los Angeles were the focus of regional efforts by supporters to push for immigration rights. Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators turned out in L.A. for the marches, according to press reports.
Streets in Los Angeles were closed for a couple of marches. The first march from Broadway and Olympic Boulevard to City Hall started at about 10 a.m.
Another demonstration along Wilshire Boulevard from Alvarado Street to La Brea Avenue was expected to continue until about 8 p.m. Wilshire Boulevard was set to be closed from Alvarado to Cloverdale Avenue until the march was over.
The Los Angeles Business Journal contributed to this report.
