Demonstrators marching along Broadway in Los Angeles to demand repeal of the Smith and McCarran Acts, July 1950 (?), Los Angeles.

Demonstrators hold picket signs proclaiming that "The Smith Act Hurts the Mexican People" and "The Smith Act Hurts the Negro People." Another sign declares that the "CRC Defends Rights of the Mexican People," a reference to the Civil Rights Congress. Enacted in 1940, the Smith Act made it illegal for anyone to knowingly or willfully advocate the overthrow of any government in the United States. The McCarran Act established the Subversive Activities Control Board. Organizations that were deemed un-American were required to register with the board, disclose their membership and finances, and label them "subversive" on all printed matter. Critics maintained the two laws were unconstitutional, usurping citizens' rights to free speech and peaceful assembly.

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