Archbishop Gomez Snubs Communist Mayday Parade

“Members of a socialist or communist group”

Archbishop Gomez forgoes appearance at annual May Day rally in Los Angeles

Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez snubbed the leftist organizers of the annual May Day Rally in Los Angeles this year and did not attend – unlike his predecessor, Cardinal Roger Mahony, who always went out of his way to participate.

“Only a few thousand people showed up for the nine-block march that started early and ended quickly,” the Los Angeles Times reported. “Los Angeles police declined to issue a crowd estimate, but marchers didn't even fill the intersection of Broadway and 1st Street, where the demonstration ended.”

Most of the marchers, said the Times “were union members -- particularly from the Service Employees International Union, which turned out hundreds of people -- or members of a socialist or communist group.”

That compares to a crowd estimate of 60,000 at last year’s march, from which pro-abortion, pro-same-sex marriage Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa tweeted, “At the May Day rally downtown with Cardinal Roger Mahony and 100k other supporters of comprehensive immigration reform.”


Cardinal Mahony even wrote about last year’s event in a May 2, 2010 entry on his blog: “Downtown Los Angeles became a sea of joyous and hopeful people on May Day this year. In a stunning turnout of people of all backgrounds, ages, and affiliations Broadway Street from Temple to Olympic resounded with song, chants, and spirited encouragement for all immigrants in our country.”

Newspapers featured photos of Cardinal Mahony, smiling as he worked his way through last year’s crowds.

According to an account published on the website of a group calling itself Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER), participants in this year’s rally included, among others, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, the Multi-ethnic Immigrant Workers Organizing Network, the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and “LGBT rights organizations.”

Among those interviewed for the Times story on this year’s rally was Carlos Escorcia, “a member of the Nicaraguan socialist Sandinista National Liberation Front.”

In the past, the LA archdiocesan Office of Justice and Peace had been instrumental in promoting a "Catholic" presence at the event. This year, the Office of Peace and Justice included mention of the May Day rally in an April 28 “News Blast.”

“On May 1, hundreds of thousands of immigrant workers and supporters will march in cities across the country for immigrant workers' rights,” said the item, published on the archdiocesan website. “In L.A., we will march for comprehensive immigration reform, and against racist and anti-immigrant state laws like in Arizona and Georgia. Join the L.A. Labor contingent on May 1. March side-by-side with our sisters and brothers: hotel workers, port truck drivers, carwasheros, sanitation workers, homecare workers, students, and all immigrant workers who need federal immigration reform now. Bring your union banners, signs and flags.”


Taken from CDL of MN by Stella Borealis.

There's also an article by the California Catholic Daily.