KQED's The California Report When 1 million marched for immigrant rights in Downtown L.A.
Mar 30, 2026
Megan Jamerson, a public radio reporter who covered the 2006 immigrant rights marches in Los Angeles, recounts on-the-ground reporting and interviews from that moment. She explores the massive turnout, the coalitions that mobilized millions, scenes and symbolism from the march, and why such mass demonstrations are harder to replicate today.
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Graduate Student Missed Flight To Join Mass March
- Chris Cepeda Mayan missed his flight and stayed to join the March 25, 2006 protest, illustrating spontaneous grassroots participation.
- He watched Univision and responded to a TV spot urging people to "march for our future," fueling personal choice to stay and march.
Organizer Saw Trains Full Of Families Wearing White
- Victor Nero arrived downtown early and saw packed metro trains and families in white, realizing the march would be huge.
- Organizers asked participants to wear white to symbolize peace, and streets were painted white during the event.
Professor Reflects On March As Community Celebration
- Zepeda Mian later wrote a book and now teaches at UCLA, reflecting on the march as a community celebration.
- He described the crowd as parents, grandparents, children, documented and undocumented all showing pride and refusing to be silenced.