About 1,500 people demonstrated yesterday in favor of immigrant rights during the May Day March.

The crowd gathered at 10 a.m. at Union Park and marched to Federal Plaza, where a rally was held.

The march occurred as the city is fighting an outbreak of swine flu, and this year's crowd was significantly smaller than in years past.

The organizer of the march, the March 10th Committee, say they hope the event will encourage Congress and President Barack Obama to legalize undocumented immigrants currently living in the country.

About thirty members from the Korean American Resource and Cultural Center were among the protesters. Becky Belcore, the Director at the center said that they were there to show support for Obama's leadership for comprehensive immigration reform.

Fourteen freshmen from Thomas Kelly High School were on hand to help carry banners and props made by The Backbone Campaign, a Seattle-based group traveling across the U.S. providing what they called "tools for the progressive movement" which included a puppet with a fair trade coffee cup and an inflatable Statue of Liberty.

Once the march made its way across the river into the loop, the number of onlookers grew. Kumar Javvaji, a software tester who works downtown, held up artwork about immigration reform as marchers passed.

"The notion of illegal immigration is antiquated and racist," he said.