San Jose

Many demonstrators expected for May Day protest in San Jose

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Organizers in San Jose were finalizing preparations for Thursday's May Day protest, which is set to bring big crowds.

This year's protest will highlight major changes in immigration police. Organizers have called on immigrants to skip school or work to highlight just how much that community contributes to the country.

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"This is the design for this year, it says 'lucha por los derechos de inmigrantes y trabajadores.' So we’re in the struggle in support of workers and immigrants," said Rebeca Armendariz with Working Partnerships USA.

Organizers in San Jose were finalizing preparations for Thursday's May Day protest, which is set to bring big crowds. Jocelyn Moran reports.

The demonstration comes a little after the Trump Administration marked its first 100 days in office, which came with impactful federal cuts and major changes in immigration policy, including mass deportation efforts.

"These attacks against our community, against our workers are worse now, they're national, they're nationwide, and they're unprecedented," Armendariz said.

One of many planned national marches will begin Thursday afternoon on Story and King.

Professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies at California State University, Fullerton, Alexandro Gradilla, said May Day, also known as International Workers Day, is different than Labor Day. It's a day meant for workers' rights.

"When we think about this day, it really is about protest, sometimes it's symbolic protest, but there have been recent times in the last 20 years where the protests were actually tied to larger issues impacting the United States,” Gradilla said.

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In 2006, millions of people across the country protested federal legislation aiming to criminalize undocumented immigrants, which included about 50,000 in San Jose.

The sacrifice of the workers and immigrants in Silicon Valley, in particular, makes sure this valley is prosperous, makes sure this is the best county in the whole country, and it's because of the sacrifice and work of migrant workers," Armendariz said.

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