May Day demonstrations draws thousands to downtown Los Angeles

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Thousands of people gathered in downtown Los Angeles on Friday for May Day demonstrations.

Two events were slated to happen: the pro-labor march at Olympic Boulevard and Broadway, and the pro-immigration rally at Cesar Chavez Avenue and Broadway.

Both rallies began at noon, and the marches started around 3 p.m. The marches wound their way to Grand Park.

Police advised residents to try and avoid downtown during the demonstrations. The Los Angeles Police Department went into citywide tactical alert in preparation for the marches.

May Day marches are put together all over the world to support rights for workers.

Locally, activists also focused on a push to increase the minimum wage to $15 and addressed concerns about police brutality.

Ahead of the marches, labor and community groups filed into City Hall Friday morning to hand over boxes of petition cards to councilmembers. They say the cards include 100,000 signatures supporting efforts to raise the minimum wage.

"These 100,000 voices are calling for moving the wage to $15 as soon as possible without a bunch of loopholes, having strong wage enforcement provisions and giving workers the sick days that they deserve," said Rusty Hicks with the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor.

"We're here to raise the voices of the economically oppressed in the city of Los Angeles," said Laphonza Butler with Service Employees International Union.