Hundreds march on Strip for undocumented immigrants’ rights
Hundreds of workers and community members gathered Sunday on the Las Vegas Strip to mark International Workers’ Day with a march to demand better protections for undocumented immigrants and workers.
“We all came here to seek a better future,” Faridy Conales, of Make the Road Nevada, said through a translator. “It’s time immigrants are treated like humans. Because we’ve been living in the shadows for so long, and that’s no way to live.”
Make the Road Nevada, Culinary Local 226, Chispa Nevada, and National Domestic Workers Alliance organized the march, which started in front of the Fountains of Bellagio and continued down the Strip to New York, New York.
Marchers chanted “This is what Democracy looks like!” and “si se puede!” (yes you can) as they made their way down the street.
The march, specifically planned for Sunday because it was May Day, or International Workers’ Day, was organized to call for stronger protections for millions of undocumented immigrants in the United States.
Workers specifically called on President Joe Biden through signs, asking him and his administration to ensure they would work toward stronger protections for immigrants throughout the country.
“I wanted to come out here today because I wanted to demand that President Biden gives undocumented people a pathway to citizenship,” said Desiree Rodriguez, who also works with Make the Road Nevada. “I definitely want people to see that we’re organized and what we’re fighting for is our lives. We’re not just gonna hide away, and we’re not afraid.”
Marchers held up signs saying “Families belong together,” “President Biden, keep your promise” and “Nothing less than citizenship.” The march started with around 100 people, and had grown by the time it got farther down the Strip, as more people came and tourists joined in.
“It’s great to see the community coming together,” Conales said. “The more people that come together, the stronger that we are.”
Contact Jonah Dylan at jdylan@reviewjournal.com. Follow @TheJonahDylan on Twitter.
