Hundreds gathered at Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights on Tuesday for one of several “Reclaim Our Streets” events across L.A. honoring those taken during recent immigration raids.
Demonstrators danced to soul and cumbia music and took part in a land acknowledgement of the Chumash and Kizh, commonly known as the Gabrielino and Tongva people.
Organizers handed consent stickers to attendees willing to be photographed or filmed — an added measure to protect the identity of attendees.
Some held signs calling for “ICE out of California” and wore white shirts emblazoned with the words “Come for one of us, come for all of us.” “This is how we reclaim our streets in East L.A.,” one speaker said.
Altars at the event, organized by the Boyle Heights-based nonprofit InnerCity Struggle and other community groups, paid homage to immigrant parents, featuring graduation sashes, work boots and buckets arranged with flowers. Impacted community members also shared heartfelt testimonies of their experiences, participating in a procession at the event.
“For three weeks, armed men in masks without badges or names have been abducting our neighbors, friends, and loved ones at bus stops, in parking lots, at parks, and on the streets,” said InnerCity Struggle Executive Director Henry Perez. “[Today], we are taking back our streets and neighborhoods — for our loved ones who have been stolen.”
Joined by mariachi singers and Aztec dancers, demonstrators walked in a short procession to Adventist Health White Memorial Hospital.
There, Father Brendan Busse, pastor at Dolores Mission Church, gave a blessing for the family of Emma De Paz, a vendor who was taken by immigration agents during a raid at the Home Depot in Hollywood last month.
De Paz’s family participated in the procession and addressed the crowd, referring to the raid as a kidnapping. Her grandchildren held signs, declaring, “Mi abuela no es criminal.”
Other “Reclaim Our Streets” events also took place in Crenshaw, Southeast L.A. and South L.A.
Earlier in the day, more than 150 people attended a “Sick of ICE” mobilization effort at Hollenbeck Park. The event, which encouraged workers across the country to call in sick to protest immigration enforcement, was organized by various activist groups, including the local branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), Peace & Freedom Party (PFP) and Union de Vecinos.
From the local park, protesters walked toward the 6th Street Bridge at around noon for a banner drop at the iconic Eastside structure, calling for “ICE out of L.A.”
“I’m out here to let people know that it’s important that we speak up because our rights are being stripped and humanity is being thrown in the trash,” said one protester at the Hollenbeck Park demonstration who preferred to remain anonymous.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated to include details about the “Reclaim Our Streets” event at Mariachi Plaza.