When I got there the organizers were going over the plan. They wanted to give a kite to every 'dreamer', meaning a kid that grew up here that had a dream about citizenship or something like that. Anybody that wanted to carry it was welcome to a sign or flag or one of each. For half an hour or so it was great wandering through the slowly building crowd talking to people.

Soon enough the shady spots were full of people. The murmur of conversation was a lot like water that soothes the soul.

  

The lady announced that the march was about to begin. She wanted the dreamers to lead us.

        

     

This wasn't the kind of march that took over the streets. It was a legal gathering of law abiding citizens who just happened to be on the sidewalk at the same time. There were a lot of family type groups, and it tended to be hard to pass friends talking, just because the sidewalk was only two people wide. Also, much of the crowd didn't speak English. I gave up and marched with whomever I happened to be near.

There were a lot of us. At least hundreds. We did a lot of chanting for immigration reform.

  

We passed the Safeway where my grandparents used to shop. At this point it had only been closed for a few days. I'd gotten food there many times over the years.

  

The International Market had only been a going business for a year or less, and that was a while ago already. I think I only shopped the place once. Not sure who their target market was, but I wasn't really part of it. Actually, that spot had held many different retail businesses over the years. When I first came to California I got a nice stereo there. Not sure why nothing lasts in that location.

A couple of blocks further down is the new Safeway. I went in there the first evening it was open. The selection is huge compared to most Safeways, but the usual stuff at the usual prices is the backbone of the product mix. Talking to the checkout lady that evening I was told "this is the biggest Safeway in California." I can believe it.

  

So many people were marching for immigration reform, but I only saw one guy marching for international law.

  

The Sharks are in the playoffs again. Even the VTA buses are rooting for them!

  

Back when I often had to walk on El Camino Ron's Farmhouse would usually have a sign advertising shuttle buses to the 49er games. I went in there a time or two, but it gave me that "I don't want to be here" feeling that made me leave without even trying to buy a beer. So now I'm curious what the new owners will do with the place.

        

  

When we got to the Tropicana Lodge we found out that it had burned recently. Not sure what happened, but it had been empty for a while when that happened. Maybe some homeless encampment had a trash fire in the hall or something like that.

     

By this time the march was quite strung out. Many people were tired of walking. I think the planners had wanted us to do enough marching that we'd really feel like we'd done something by the end. Sure enough, legs were feeling it all around me. I could hear it in peoples voices.

     

  
  

  

I think that "CHAMPIONS for CHANGE" hat is part of a campaign to get people to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables "for a healthy California".

  

The music was loud. I spent a while wandering around the plaza taking pictures of all the signs I'd missed during the march.

     

The guy in black in the middle picture is the Catholic Bishop of San Jose. He had seven points that he wanted to share with us, along with some observations he'd personally experienced that he considered to be very wrong. He wants to see immigration policy reform.

  

Everybody listened to the Bishop.

  

  

     

        

           

There were a lot of people in Day Worker Center shirts. PIA stands for Peninsula Interfaith Action, an umbrella group for all of the church going people.

Maria announced that following the march the group that wants to take the message to another level were going to a nearby church to begin a hunger strike for reform. Any that were interested could join them.

  

     

     

  

  

  

The last words came from Maria who thanked us for being a great crowd and making the day special. She also wanted anybody that wanted to join in the hunger strike to join her at the church. I think there was a call for volunteers to help pick up trash in there somewhere.