top
Immigrant Rights
Immigrant Rights
Indybay
Indybay
Indybay
Regions
Indybay Regions North Coast Central Valley North Bay East Bay South Bay San Francisco Peninsula Santa Cruz IMC - Independent Media Center for the Monterey Bay Area North Coast Central Valley North Bay East Bay South Bay San Francisco Peninsula Santa Cruz IMC - Independent Media Center for the Monterey Bay Area California United States International Americas Haiti Iraq Palestine Afghanistan
Topics
Newswire
Features
From the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature
Thu Apr 20 2006 (Updated 05/01/21)
Massive Immigrant General Strike in US, Northern California
"Gran Paro Americano 2006" on May Day
Demanding recognition for their many contributions to American society, and taking a stand against discrimination, millions of immigrants and their supporters marched in over 75 U.S. cities on Monday, May 1st. Nearly one million marched in California alone. Reports from L.A. cite hundreds of thousands turning out. San Jose and San Francisco each were estimated to have had 100,000 people march. Throughout Northern California tens of thousands took the day off from work or school, refused to buy anything, and marched united for immigrant rights.

May Day Photo Gallery featuring hundreds of photos from all over the Bay Area and Northern California (Publish your own photos, reports, and video.)

SAN FRANCISCO:
An estimated 100,000 immigrants rights supporters marched down Market Street in the largest Latino mobilization in city history.
Video: 1 | 2 | 3 | Audio: 1 | 2
Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21
Reports: 1 | 2

SAN JOSE:
In the South Bay, another estimated 100,000 immigrants rights supporters marched through the city, likely making it the largest demonstration ever in San Jose history. Many businesses closed for the day.
Video: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Reports: 1 | 2

HUMBOLDT:
12:50pm: Immigrant Rights March from Arcata to Eureka on 101 in Humboldt "attacked" by cops.
Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Report

SANTA ROSA:
Today's march for immigrant rights in Santa Rosa reached historic size.
Reports: 1 | 2

SAN RAFAEL: About 5-7000 people marched in in the biggest march ever held in San Rafael.
Video: 1 | 2 | Audio

RICHMOND: Immigrants rights supporters first marched in Richmond, then took BART to SF immigrant events.
Video

CONCORD:
Over 5000 marched to Santos Plaza.
Photos

OAKLAND:
Participants estimate more than 15,000 marched miles to the the federal building in downtown where speakers such as Congresswoman Barbara Lee had words of support. Line of marchers "as far as the eye can see."
Video | Photos | Reports: 1 | 2

UNION CITY:
Over 1,000 people marched through the streets of Decoto in support of the great American Boycott!
Photos

SANTA CRUZ: a total of more than 300 people are clogging up both entrances of campus, causing traffic jams and buses to run late. The main entrance has been basically shut down, and UC police are rerouting drivers to the West entrance. Students erected a mock border at the campus entrance to highlight the challenges faced by Latinos entering the US for work.
Video: 1 | Audio: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

WATSONVILLE:
A May Day demonstration in Watsonville CA, the self-proclaimed strawberry capital of the world, drew about 10,000 people in a city of 45,000 out into the streets.
Audio: 1 | 2 | 3 | Photos: 1 | 2

SACRAMENTO:
Thousands gathered at Southside Park for a march to the Capitol.
Audio | Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Reports: 1 | 2 | 3

FRESNO:
At least 15,000 people rallied for immigrant rights today at Fresno City Hall, making this the largest political rally in Fresno County history. Earlier in the day, 3-400 students rallied at CSUF.
Video: 1 | Photos: 1 | 2

MODESTO:
Close to 10,000 people, most of them working class Latinos/Chicanos, came out to protest the proposed HR 4437 legislation.
Photos | Reports: 1

BAKERSFIELD:
2:30pm: FRSC report about police stopping march and making arrests.
Audio

SANTA BARBARA:
3:00pm rally begins with 5,000 chanting, "We're not just one. We're not thousands. We're millions!"

NATIONAL: Most major U.S. cities have reported large marches, in many cases the largest marches the cities have ever seen. Chicago's march was the largest in the nation with as many as three quarters of a million people having taken to the streets. LA also reported crowds numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Miami, D.C., and Denver report marches in the tens of thousands.
More Coverage Can Be Found On: US IMC, L.A., Portland, Colorado, Chicago, NYC, D.C., Miami

2025-11-16 "People Over Billionaires" March Tours San Francisco's Ritziest Neighborhood Front Page | Health, Housing & Public Services | Global Justice & Anti-Capitalism | San Francisco2025-11-15 First Day of Starbucks Strike Shuts Down Stores in Santa Cruz Front Page | Labor & Workers | Peninsula | California | U.S. | Santa Cruz Indymedia2025-11-11 Gay Shame Organizes Costume March to ICE Courthouse in San Francisco Front Page | Police State & Prisons | Racial Justice | LGBTI / Queer | Arts + Action | San Francisco | U.S. | Americas | Immigrant Rights2025-11-11 Remembering the Armed Occupation that Protected the Ohlone Burial Site on Lee Road Front Page | Police State & Prisons | Environment & Forest Defense | Racial Justice | Education & Student Activism | Americas | Santa Cruz Indymedia2025-11-05 Report from Department of Pesticide Regulation Underestimates Cancer Risks Front Page | Environment & Forest Defense | Racial Justice | Health, Housing & Public Services | Labor & Workers | Education & Student Activism | California | Santa Cruz Indymedia2025-11-04 Amid Widespread Protests, Trump Calls Off National Guard Deployment to SF Front Page | Police State & Prisons | Racial Justice | San Francisco | South Bay | Peninsula | California | U.S. | Americas | Immigrant Rights2025-10-12 Professor of Medicine Fired Over Social Media Posts Criticizing Israel's Genocide in Gaza Front Page | Racial Justice | Health, Housing & Public Services | Anti-War | Labor & Workers | Education & Student Activism | San Francisco | California | Palestine2025-10-04 California Caves to Oil Industry with Health, Environmental Rollbacks Environment & Forest Defense | Health, Housing & Public Services | Central Valley | California | Government & Elections2025-10-03 Writers Organize to Defend Freedom of the Press and Protect Palestinian Journalists Front Page | Anti-War | Labor & Workers | Media Activism & Independent Media | Arts + Action | San Francisco | California | International | Government & Elections | Palestine2025-09-27 tooromakma hinse nii is Part of the Greater Juristac Landscape Environment & Forest Defense | Racial Justice | South Bay | California | Americas | Santa Cruz Indymedia2025-09-11 Updates to Mural Included Depictions of Indigenous Resistance to Colonial Violence Arts + Action | East Bay | Americas
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!

Donate

$260.00 donated
in the past month

Get Involved

If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.

Publish

Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.

IMC Network