In March 2006, more than one million people marched through Downtown Los Angeles in one of the largest demonstrations for immigrant rights in U.S. history. The protest became a defining moment for Latino political mobilization in California.

Chris Zepeda-Millán, associate professor of public policy at UCLA Luskin, recalled the event to KQED. “People were out there demonstrating their pride and their dignity,” he said. “They were refusing to be silenced while they were being demonized by Washington.”

Nearly two decades later, that legacy continues to shape present-day activism. Over the weekend, tens of thousands gathered across California in “No Kings” rallies to protest policies under Donald Trump, including mass deportations.