Voces de la Frontera march in Milwaukee turns out thousands
On a cold rainy morning in Milwaukee, several thousand people came together to participate in Voces de la Frontera’s (VDLF) May Day March. More than 8000 people had signed up for the march, and the number did not appear much smaller than that.
The march was part of a nationwide day of protest for International Workers Day but in Milwaukee the focus was on Trump administration actions that impact the Latine community as Latines and their allies marched from the VDLF offices in a movement of resistance to the criminalization and deportation of immigrants.
For many marchers, the action was personal. Two young Latina women simply said they were there "for the family."
A young Latino student wore a jacket with the words “Por Vida” (For Life). “I am here for life,” he explained. “That is why I chose those words.”
Allies who understood they ran no risk of deportation said they were marching for reasons of principle.
“It’s a (nasty) day but immigrants have to work on (nasty days),” a member of the League of Women Voters said.
The route, moving from the heart of the Hispanic neighborhood and ending in Zeidler Park in the financial center of the city, expressed the march’s message symbolically: the financial and political powers had to listen to the voice of the people.
It was all peaceful and lively, with no violence or verbal confrontations or attacks. VDLF provided food and water for the participants. Volunteer marshalls were on hand to answer questions, help the participants and control the crowd. Additionally, VDLF provided buses to return participants to the starting point of the march after its end at Zeidler Park.
