May Day demonstrators gathering, but slow start for food vendors

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People make their way along Paseo de la Plaza in downtown Los Angeles at the conclusion of a May Day march for immigration reform. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

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Gabriela Escobar, center, of Canoga Park waves an American flag and a Mexican flag during a rally on Paseo de la Plaza. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

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Gaudencia Gomez, right, hands an American flag to her grandson Joel Cruz Calderon, being held by friend Haidee Zelaya, while standing on Paseo de la Plaza. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

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Hiram Ruiz of South Los Angeles participates in the May Day march. (Christina House / For the Los Angeles Times)

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Long Beach resident Ruben Sanchez walks with his son Angel, 6, during the May Day march. (Christina House / For the Los Angeles Times)

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Members of Danza Mexica Cuauhtemoc participate in the May Day march. (Christina House / For the Los Angeles Times)

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Alejandra Arana waves American and Mexican flags as she marches down Broadway in the May Day procession in downtown Los Angeles. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

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Participants march down Broadway in downtown Los Angeles during the May Day march on Wednesday. (Christina House / For the Los Angeles Times)

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Supporters of immigration reform march north on Broadway past 1st Street in downtown Los Angeles. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

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Members of HogerMex, supporters of immigration reform, march in the May Day procession in downtown Los Angeles. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

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Sales and management staff of a cookware company takes part in the May Day march on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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Rosa Ayala participates in the May Day march on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. (Christina House / For the Los Angeles Times)

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Simon Rodriguez, 2, left, and Christian Reyes, 2, in strollers, with their mothers at the start of the May Day march. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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May Day marchers rally at Olympic Boulevard and Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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May Day marchers gather at Olympic Boulevard and Broadway for the start of the rally in downtown Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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Jesus Garcia yells slogans at the start of the May Day march in downtown Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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Juan Carlos Hernandez came dressed as royalty for the May Day march in downtown Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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Gloria Godoy, center, and others take part in the May Day march in downtown Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

By Marisa Gerber

May 1, 2013 1:43 PM PT

As the beats of a live mariachi band blared through the intersection of Broadway and Olympic at the start of Wednesday’s May Day march, Susana Gonzalez focused on her sizzling bacon-wrapped hot dogs.

“Hasta ahorita, nada,” she said, shaking her head as she explained that she hadn’t sold a single hot dog to demonstrators.

She showed up at the intersection at 11:30 a.m., and based on sales during past years at the event had expected to sell at least a handful of hot dogs before noon.

“Other years were better,” she said, scraping charred bacon from the skillet atop her rolling cart.

A group of people waving U.S. flags walked by and Gonzalez smiled and gave them her hot dog deal in Spanglish: “Dos por five dollars.”

They smiled and said they’d come back later.

Across the street, Rosalinda Martinez was a couple of hours into her shift selling fresh fruit and hadn’t made any sales either.

She was still enjoying herself, though, dancing along with the music as she peeled mango with a vegetable peeler.

“Menos gente, pero más ambiente,” she said, explaining that although this year’s crowd seemed smaller than usual, the ambiance was even better.

Daniel Guzman, who rolled his cart of frozen treats from his usual spot at MacArthur Park to the event downtown, said he was glad he decided to made the trek.

“It was colder than this last year,” he said, smiling. “So I know I’ll sell more today.”

Hundreds of demonstrators were beginning to gather in downtown Los Angeles for marches and protests expected to last into the evening.

Because of the recently unveiled immigration overhaul bill, workers have more hope, said David Huerta, who works for the local chapter of Service Employees International Union -- a group of janitors, security officers and airport workers.

“There’s change on the horizon,” he said, smiling as he looked down at his purple shirt. It read: “With us, America works.”

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Twitter: @marisagerber

marisa.gerber@latimes.com