On October 4 thousands of immigrants and activists gathered in Corona Park in Queens—the last stop of the Freedom Workers Ride.

”This has to change. We are ready for a fight," the crowd chanted.

"Welcome to New York. This is a truly wonderful and important day for all of us,” said Brian McLaughlin, the president of the NYC Central Labor Council.

Councilman Gifford said that the repeal of Executive Order 34 was a positive outcome. "Illegal immigrants don't have to be afraid that somebody will ask them about their status when they come to a hospital in need of medical help or to a police station to report a crime,” he said.

”Within the next few days we will be voting at City Hall on a bill about equal access," he said. “Every immigrant must have equal access to medical services and city agencies."

Representatives of different ethnic groups, labor unions and immigrants themselves addressed the audience. Councilman Jose Peralta struck a popular note when he said, "only together can we assure better rights and lives for our families, and for the next generations. Every day someone's father, husband or brother loses his job because of his legal status. People united for an important cause can never be defeated. We are here to say 'yes' to employee rights and legalization, to reuniting families and to better lives."

Newly elected Bishop of the Brooklyn Diocese Nicholas DiMarzio said, “for years I have been serving fugitives and immigrants. I am happy I can participate in this event. Immigrants, like everybody else, deserve justice."

It was his first day of work.

"It 's the biggest protest of this kind. We expected about 200,000 people here, and we weren't wrong," said one of the organizers.

"This is a huge operation and a deserving goal. Now all we can do is hope that our voice will be heard by politicians,” said Ludmila Grabarz, who came to Corona Park to participate in the protest. She was one of the few Poles present. "It's sad that so few of us came. We are never where we should be. All ethnic groups came to express their protest against injustice and fight for better immigration laws. There weren't enough of us.”

“By not attending demonstrations like this one, we seem to accept the present state of things,” said Iwona Hejmej, an organizer.