MADISON, Wis. -- About 10,000 people marched on the state Capitol on Monday as part of a nationwide effort to raise support for changes in immigration laws.

VIDEO: Protesters March On Capitol | VIDEO: Students Attend March | VIDEO: Protesters Speak At Capitol | SLIDESHOW: Photos Of March

Police estimated that about 10,000 people were marching through downtown Madison. The march began at Brittingham Park at 10:30 a.m. on the shores of Lake Monona. The marchers later moved down West Washington Avenue toward the Capitol at about noon where Latino activists, religious leaders and public officials, including Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, state Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager and Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, spoke.

"This is such an important event because we need to stand up to those in Washington who would move us back to a place we don't want to go," Falk said.

Labor union organizers also spoke and Roman Catholic Bishop Robert Morlino led many in the crowd with a prayer in Spanish.

Hundreds of people hoisted American and Mexican flags and various signs as they marched. The river of humanity stretched from the Capitol square back to Brittigham, WISC-TV reported. Some marchers chanted in Spanish and English, "What do we want? Justice. When do we want it? Now!" Some wore shirts that read, "No to Racism" and "We are not criminals."

Many of those rallying brought babies and young children with them and said that they were pursuing the "American dream," WISC-TV reported.

Ramona Villarrea, a Madison teacher and one of the event's organizers, said that she and her migrant family arrived in Madison 44 years ago. She called Monday a "historical day."

"We're here to be a family, like you guys," Villarrea said. "We also respect. We also get educated. We live and eat the same. We do the same. We're human beings. Yeah, we have a different color, but we are all the same and we can all get along.

"We are all just asking for justice, and we want you to hear us," she said.

Guadalupe Rodriguez, a 45-year-old truck driver from Lake Mills who moved to the United States from Mexico 24 years ago, said that the country should give amnesty to illegal aliens. He said that they're not asking for a handout, they're working hard.

There was little opposition to those marching, apart from a handful of men who held racist signs. The men wouldn't identify themselves or say what organization, if any, they were affiliated with, WISC-TV reported.

Madison police said that there were no problems at all despite the massive size of the demonstration, WISC-TV reported.

Madison's march was one of many being held in cities across the country. Some protests were held this weekend, but large demonstrations and marches were held in 94 cities on Monday, including Washington, D.C.

The marchers oppose several pieces of existing and proposed legislation that they said would criminalize them and take away their rights.

The marchers' key demands are changes in the law to legalize an estimated 11 million undocumented workers, stopping H.R. 4437, which would tighten security and criminalize these workers, and repeal a state law that blocks access to driver's licenses and ID cards to anyone who can't prove their legal status.

There are an estimated 50,000 illegal workers living in Dane County, WISC-TV reported.

A similar march was held a few weeks ago in Milwaukee with many workers leaving their jobs to participate, WISC-TV reported.

Hundreds Of Madison Students Excused From Class

Hundreds of Madison students left the classroom behind to join the rally at the Capitol.

Officials said that 657 students -- about 5 percent of the Madison Metropolitan School District's 13,000 middle and high school students -- received an excused absence to attend the rally with a written note from their parents, IWSC-TV reported.

Brisa Flores, a senior at East High School, said that she felt a need to participate in the march.

"I don't really support the immigration laws that they're trying to pass, and we've had debates about this in my justice and law class and I just thought I should be here," Flores said.

District officials said that up until last week, they didn't know that there was a state law that allowed the students to be excused from class for such an event.

Parent Marlene Lopez said that she wrote a note to excuse her son from elementary school to support the march.

"The more immigrants they can see, it's much better for us," Lopez said. "So, they don't think it's a small group of Hispanic people."

Stay tuned to WISC-TV and Channel 3000 for continuing coverage.