Some of the estimated 10,000 marchers are shown during an immigration rights rally Saturday in Los Angeles. Marchers filled the streets to demand amnesty for the nation's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants.

Los Angeles ? Thousands of people, many wearing red to signify hope, marched peacefully Saturday through downtown here, calling for broad amnesty for illegal immigrants.

Police estimated that about 7,000 to 10,000 people participated in the march. Two demonstrations two weeks ago, both held to commemorate last year’s massive Los Angeles march, were marked by low turnout.

Organizers said Saturday’s noontime event, which ended at City Hall, was designed to rejuvenate efforts in Washington, D.C., to promote reform that offers a path to citizenship to the greatest possible number of undocumented immigrants. Such efforts have stalled in Congress.

It also was intended to prove to critics that the immigrant rights movement was not dead, organizers said.

“People would like for it to go away,” said Juan Jose Gutierrez of Latino Movement USA, one of the coordinators of the march. Speaking of Congress, he said, “We are not going to go away until they act responsibly.”

But like other recent protests, Saturday’s event did not compare to the rally on March 25, 2006, when 500,000 protesters took to the streets over a proposed law that would have criminalized undocumented immigrants and those who help them.

Some marchers expressed frustration at the lack of progress in Washington but said it still was important to go to the rallies and make their voices heard.

“It’ll help them understand that we love the United States as much as we love our families,” said Sarah de Anda, 19, of Orange, pushing her year-old daughter, Mindy, in a stroller beneath her family’s homemade banner. Decorated with U.S. flags, the banner said: “We have a dream, like Martin Luther King.”

“How many people are here without documents and are here paying taxes and working?” asked Carlos Gonzalez, 38, an undocumented immigrant who said he owns a business in Los Angeles. “I don’t know why they don’t want to give us papers, when we are working and trying to be good citizens.”