Small in Numbers, Large in Color
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — All blogdowntown coverage of today's marches is available in this May 1 topic.
The May Day marches converged Downtown a little after 3pm, with crowds far smaller than many were predicting. The Times is giving an LAPD number of 3,500. That number will get revised higher (early LAPD numbers always do), but turnout is not particularly high.
The Legalize LA march, originating from American Apparel, made up in color what the overall march lacked in size. Marchers carried a sea of fluorescent green signs and took a few minutes to stop for a photo op at 5th and Main before meeting up with the rest of the marches at Broadway.
Update (4:45pm): The Legalize LA march is headed back to the factory down Alameda. Traffic on that corridor may be slow for the next while.
Update (5pm): CBS2 just led off the 5pm newscast calling the Legalize LA march down Alameda a "splinter group" and making it sound like they were just making up a new plan and wandering around the city.
They're just heading back to their cars so they can go home. Seems there would have been some plans for that.
skidrowdude on May 01, 2008, at 05:14PM – #1
Great coverage, Eric! You are right up to the minute with what I see looking at 2nd and Broadway (5:15pm), and what I hear from KFI radio reporters on-site. It seems like it's dispersing already, with no incidents yet- YEAH!
Eric Richardson (@blogdowntown) on May 01, 2008, at 05:21PM – #2
Ed gets the credit on the Alameda tip. He's on the ground there, while I'm back sitting at the apartment. Both Dave and Ed should have some fun photos coming.
Don Garza on May 01, 2008, at 06:56PM – #3
got some pictures up on my blog http://www.centralcitye.blogspot.com
I am looking forward to see pictures from the blogdowntown team. I am so exhausted. Muscles ache horribly so I had to call it a day.
CHRISTIAN MARTINEZ on May 02, 2008, at 12:27PM – #4
I was excited and happy to see so many 'HAPPY' people on the march. The positive feel was great. I met so many wonderful people trying to make a change. Thanks to the police too, they did a professional job and all was peaceful.
Christian Martinez, Publisher, Downtown LA Life Magazine