Hundreds of Latinos rallied and marched today with civic, labor and immigrant-rights organizations in cities across the country commemorating May Day today. From California to Washington, D.C. to New York, activists said the events, marches and even strikes had a particular significance in 2012.

“Over the last year, we’ve seen a renewed sense of activism in the U.S., which is pretty unparalleled in the past few years,” says Ana Avendaño, AFL-CIO’s Director of Immigration and Community Services.

Avendaño says some of the events in recent months, including the ongoing fight over worker rights in Wisconsin, the legal battle over Arizona’s immigration law and the implementation of strict voter ID laws “are part of a well-crafted plan to silence communities. They’re trying to deny people the right to organize and the right to vote,” she says.

In California, hundreds of protesters in cities across the state rallied and marched today. In Oakland, police used tear gas as several hundred protesters clashed with police. But while much of the news today revolves around the street clashes between Occupy Wall Street protesters and police, Latino activists such as Jorge-Mario Cabrera want to focus on some key messages.

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