LOS ANGELES — A group of protesters emerged over the 110 freeway on 7th Street to protest for Palestine and against the ICE raids on the Latino community. This collection of people make it an effort to come to protest every second Sunday of the month.
In small numbers, the protesters waved their banners and flags in support of Palestine and the continued killings in Gaza. Similarly, other protesters waved flags against ICE and calling for support of immigration rights. The protest does not come far from the most recent second “No Kings” protest on Oct. 18 which also happened in downtown Los Angeles. Many passing cars honked their horns as they drove by the bridge or even from seeing the protesters chant from the distance in the freeway.
Roma Palacios, 44, came to the bridge with his son, as the movement to support Palestine holds dearly for him.
“While I’m here for Palestine, other folks are here for supporting immigration rights, anti-ICE, we have folks here supporting environmental justice. We’re really just trying to push all messages at this moment, progressive messages and show that it’s one cause,” Palacios said. “We’re all in the same fight together.”
Palacio says the protest is in coalition with the protests that regularly occur on 4th Street for the same motives. They choose this spot on 7th Street as it is more “family-friendly” and allows for more people to be together on this wider bridge.
Paul D’Angelo, 58, said it was inspiring seeing all the thousands of cars who beeped from the freeways seeing that they support their messages of justice for Palestine and opposing ICE raids.
For Nettie Vazquez, 48, she currently is going through rehabilitation for drug use, leaving that dark part of her life for activism allowed her to feel complete again. After losing custody of her children, she stays involved in their lives and fights for a better future for them. Vazquez feels she can give back to her community one small movement at a time.
Vazquez says that seeing the many supporters honking on the streets is “better than getting high on drugs or alcohol.”
These protesters continue the fight on the streets of downtown Los Angeles whether it’s protesting in front of the detention center on Alameda Street or on the bridge on 7th street, they continue on.
