The Mountain View Day Worker Center held a march today, May 1 for the worker rights of immigrants. The march, which featured speakers, aimed to raise awareness about some of the obstacles of the immigration status. The marchers began at Rengstorff Park in Mountain View, took turns on California Street and Showers Drive, and came to a stop in front of the Mountain View City Hall.

History teacher Seth Donnelly, who participated in the march, said that the march was a great method to help emphasize the importance of immigrant rights and crippling policy regarding immigrants.

“This march … is part of marches all across the country who stand up for their rights of workers and for the rights of immigrants,” Donnelly said. The connection between the two are very clear, that as long as our immigration policies make it hard for people who are here without papers to stand up for their rights and their jobs without the fear of being deported.”

Donnelly also had some strong words regarding immigrant worker exploitation.

“What we’re doing is we’re giving employers the capacity to exploit large numbers,” Donnelly said. “Millions of workers who are here to make a better living for themselves and for their families who don’t yet have papers.”

Sergio Marboli, a social activist and a former political prisoner from Chile who fled in the early 1970s, spoke about his aspirations for immigrant and social workers rights.

“We are here today for the people’s solidarity,” Marboli said. “We the people have all the same rights to education, health and work.”

Javier Perez, a local immigrant who participated in the march, believes that better judgment by the federal government is needed before we progress can be made regarding immigration status.

“We are all here because of the whole issue of lack of good thinking from our federal government to come up with a good plan for immigration reform,” Perez said.

Photos of the event will be posted shortly.