More than two thousand Madison residents gathered at the Capitol Tuesday to celebrate International Workers' Day and voice their support for immigrant workers' rights.
The annual May Day Immigrant Rights Rally, which celebrated immigrant rights and protested worker discrimination, featured speakers, music, food and resounding chants of ""Si, se puede,"" or ""Yes we can.""
Alexander Gillis of the Immigrant Workers Union referred to the rally as a ""battle"" in the immigrant-rights movement.
""We are not leaving, so sooner or later, what [the government] is creating is a big explosion,"" he said. ""Anger is going to be translated into more democratic expression out there, and I can see a bigger demonstration next year. We are going to win.""
Last year, Madison was one of the only cities in Wisconsin to hold large immigrant-rights rallies, one April 10 and the other May 1. The rallies drew tens of thousands of people from Milwaukee and other rural areas.
According to Gillis, this year's Madison rally was much smaller because other Wisconsin cities followed suit and have organized May Day rallies too.
""Ultimately we wish more people came out, but we are not disappointed whatsoever,"" Gillis said. ""We are very proud to be organizers in this city and with the people.""
Many UW-Madison students turned out to support the event, as organizations such as the Student Labor Action Coalition and Food Not Bombs were there to help.
""We have a lot of support from students ... they have been helping a lot, serving burritos and all this food here. It's very important what they did,"" Gillis said.
In particular, the rally protested the Real ID Act of 2005, which tightened restrictions on how one is able to obtain a legal form of identification in the United States. The Act would make it difficult for anyone without an identification card to participate in common activities such as driving and establishing a bank account.
Clarissa Pearson, a speaker at the rally, said despite government attempts to divide immigrant workers, they remain united and as strong as ever.
""Today we call for unity, for a future with dignity for our families. The unity of a working class,"" she said.
