MayDay

This is the third May 1 since I’ve been living in Los Angeles. There is no day that has been more memorable, scary, or incredible in my LA experience than the past two May Firsts. May 1, 2006 had tremendous build-up, with some of the largest immigration rallies preceding it and it exceeded all expectations. Half a million people rallied and it made headlines around the world. More importantly, the local media began stepping up it’s coverage of immigrant issues as they affect every day life and commerce in Southern California. May 1, 2007 made headlines for different reasons, LAPD overreacted at MacArthur Park where rallies were taking place and many were injured by rubber bullets. It was horrible and a total embarrassment for the city and just an utter disgrace. Here’s hoping for a safe, memorable, and spirited May Day 2008 and a salute to the Dockworkers who effectively shut down all ports on the West Coast in protest of the Iraq War today.

Two years ago (it looks like a million years ago, I know) I did this uber-amateurish piece for my broadcast journalism class. It involved interviewing several players who organized the massive May 1 2006 immigration march and a whole lot of walking: