International Workers Day usually goes unnoticed in the United States. But the tens of thousands of people who took to the streets on May 1 throughout the country this year recalled the spirit of struggle and the radical legacy of the Martyrs of Chicago.
Immigrant rights organizations and climatic organizations, together with the left and thousands of people, joined the call of unions throughout the country to march against authoritarian and anti -government attacks of the Donald Trump government, demonstrating that we do not have to wait for the next elections to reject the extreme right.
May 1 marked the third national day of mass mobilizations in recent weeks, expressing the generalized discontent with Trump’s ultra -right -wing agenda. He coincided with the end of Trump’s first 100 days in office, which have brought with him a wave of brutal attacks against immigrants, students, transgender people and unions, as well as a radical change in US foreign policy. The call to mobilize on May 1, carried out by the unions, the “50501” coalition and the “Fort May First” coalition, demanded “the end of the multimillion -dollar control and rampant corruption of the Trump administration; the end of the drastic cuts of federal funds for Medicaid, Social Security and other programs on which workers depend; and the end of the attacks against immigrants against immigrants. and other communities. “
More than a thousand protests were carried out in cities from Chicago to Dallas, Texas, to denounce the Trump agenda, including direct attacks against unionized workers: from the prohibition of collective bargaining for airport workers to the prohibition that thousands of federal workers will join unions and the dismissal of federal workers in violation of their contracts. The union demands of this May 1 focused on the defense of the right to unionize, especially when support for unions exceeds 60 % nationwide.
The protesters also denounced that Trump maintains the political and military support of Joe Biden to the Israeli genocide against the Palestinian people, as well as the repression and deportation of student activists for their support for Palestine. Despite the silence of trade union leaders and organizers about the American financing of the genocide, the pro-palestine songs resonated in the marches, with Palestinian flags and Keffiyehs between the crowd.
A particular source of indignation is Trump’s attempts to govern by decree on issues ranging from the rights of trans people to the dismantling of the Department of Education and the authorization of billionaire Elon Musk to dismantle federal programs under the pretext of “reduce inefficiencies.” Given the chopped fall of Trump’s approval and the various policy changes of his administration, the renewed energy of this May first demonstrates that working people, students and oppressed communities are ready to fight Trump’s attacks. With the workers at the head, this International Workers Day glimpsed the power we have to defend our rights from below and develop an independent plan to fight against the attacks of the extreme right.
New York City
Almost ten thousand people marched in Manhattan on Thursday, from the City Council to Wall Street, to denounce Trump’s open alliance with billionaires against the interests of the working class. Amazon workers, who fight in unionize, marched together with postgraduate workers from Columbia University, such as Grant Mine, who was fired for their pro-palestinian activism while Trump represses the student movement.
Detroit
We’re at the May Day rally and march in Detroit with hard working Michiganders fighting for our rights, our families and our communities! pic.twitter.com/vrnA91u44x
-Michigan afl-cio ✊ (@miaflcio) May 1, 2025
Solidarity in work centers and schools against Trump’s xenophobic and authoritarian policies was the central message of the hundreds of people who marched in Detroit this May. The songs of “The devil with ICE!” And “Unions: Yes, Trump: No! The anti -indicals have to leave!” They resonated among the crowd.
Washington D. C.
HAPPENING NOW: Hundreds of union workers and allies are rallying at Freedom Plaza in solidarity with immigrant workers, restaurant workers, and federal workers throughout the DC region. #MayDay #MayDay2025 pic.twitter.com/5gRcJt5SnF
— Metro Washington Council AFL-CIO (@DCLabor) May 1, 2025
The release and immediate return of Kilmar Abrego García, the unjustly imprisoned man in the Megacárcel of El Salvador, was a key call in the march in Washington DC, where thousands of people filled the streets of the capital and headquarters of the government of the country. Abrego García’s wife spoke in a demonstration to denounce the inhuman conditions in the private megacárcel of El Salvador, where Abrego García has been held for more than a month along with hundreds of other immigrants.
Los Angeles and San Francisco
In one of the epicenters of the protests against Trump’s xenophobic attacks in the first days of his second term, thousands of trade unionists and activists marched through the streets of Los Angeles to defend the rights of immigrants and denounce the demonization and criminalization of immigrants by the extreme right. Just a few days before, more than 55,000 public sector workers declared themselves on strike for two days to fight for a new contract.
In San Francisco, the workers of the University of California demonstrated as part of a strike of more than 20,000 workers throughout California. UC workers are negotiating a new contract. Health, research and technology workers protest against the freezing of hiring of the university due to personnel scarcity, as well as salary increases.
Philadelphia
In Philadelphia, hundreds of unionized hotel, food service and casino workers participated in a May Day sit-in at the entrance to I-676. pic.twitter.com/C8UKGZskkn
— In These Times (@inthesetimesmag) May 2, 2025
The march in Philadelphia was marked by the arrest of seventy trade unionists and activists who blocked a road. Thousands of protesters filled the streets on Thursday, denouncing Trump’s attacks against federal staff and deportations.
Chicago
Today, Chicago is showing what solidarity looks like! #MayDay2025 pic.twitter.com/W6QsHN5zTb
— Chicago Teachers Union (@CTULocal1) May 1, 2025
Thousands of people marched by Chicago chanting “The united people will never be defeated!” And “Without justice, there is no peace! Without racist police!” Teachers, health and university staff led the march, demanding the end of the Xenophobic deportation campaign of Trump, more protections for workers and a minimum salary of $ 20.
Building the bases for coming struggles
This May 1 showed that there is no single problem that faces the working class in the United States, but that we must fight with a single fist for the interests of our entire class against the attacks of the extreme right. This means joining the struggle for the right to unionize or for a worthy salary with the struggles for the full rights of immigrants, against the suppression of our right to protest, for the rights of trans people and for the end of genocide in Palestine funded by the United States. While Trump launches a frontal attack against the working class in almost all aspects of life, resorting to authoritarian measures to impose his agenda, and while the Democratic Party tries to channel the discontent towards supporting its version of the Statu Quo Neoliberal, the working class is learning that only our collective action can prevent the extreme right from reduce our rights.
The Democratic Party tries to make the most of these protests, participating in actions throughout the country, smiling for photos with union leaders and pronouncing speeches about the next elections; But the tens of thousands of people who marched the International Workers Day to challenge the Trump administration and in solidarity with immigrants, trans people, Palestine and students offer a different path. We have already seen the power of mobilizations to achieve the freedom of Mohsen Mahdawi and stop the revocation of visas for international students. But to really stop Trump’s policies, from deportations and layoffs to the suppression of freedom of expression and the right to protest, it is necessary to bring the fight to our workplaces and schools and involve our entire class in the fight, fighting from the bases of our unions and organizations to mobilize millions of workers to the strike, to the protest no longer let a single attack pass without fighting.
This article was originally published in English at the Left Voice site, part of the International Network The Daily Left.
Source: www.laizquierdadiario.com
