Activists to rally worldwide on May Day, with US protests targeting
Trump policies
[May 01, 2025]
By SOPHIA TAREEN
CHICAGO (AP) — From worker rights rallies to marches for social justice,
activists around the globe will kick off May Day demonstrations on
Thursday.
In some countries, it’s a public holiday honoring labor, but activists
planning marches in the United States say much of their message is about
fighting back against President Donald Trump’s policies targeting
immigrants, federal workers and diversity programs.
Thousands are expected at demonstrations from Tokyo to Chicago. In some
parts of the U.S., though, fear sowed by the Trump administration is
expected to keep some immigrants home.
“Everybody is under attack right now,” said Jorge Mujica, a longtime
labor leader from Chicago, where May Day rallies historically have had a
large turnout.
May Day's beginnings
The roots of May Day, or International Workers Day, stretch back over a
century to a turbulent and pivotal time in U.S. labor history.
In the 1880s, unions pushing for better workplace conditions began
advocating for an eight-hour workday with widespread demonstrations and
strikes. In May 1886, a Chicago labor rally turned deadly when a bomb
was thrown and police retaliated with gunfire. Several labor activists,
most of them immigrants, were convicted of conspiracy to incite violence
among other charges. Four were hanged.
Unions later recommended that the workers be honored every May 1. A
sculpture in Chicago's Haymarket Square commemorates them with an
inscription that reads: “Dedicated to all workers of the world.”
Rallies and riots
May Day marches, rallies and riots have taken place worldwide in recent
years as unions push for better rights for workers, groups air economic
grievances or activists call for an end to the war in Gaza.
While most demonstrations have been peaceful, there have been clashes
with police.
Last year, police in Paris fired tear gas as thousands of protesters
marched through the French capital, seeking better pay and working
conditions. In New York City, May Day demonstrations coincided with
rising tensions at college campuses over pro-Palestinian student
encampments, resulting in numerous arrests.
This year, organizers in numerous cities, including New York, are
calling for unity across many causes and groups.
“We’re organizing for a world where every family has housing, health
care, fair wages, union protection, and safety — regardless of race,
immigration status, or zip code,” the American Civil Liberty Union of
New York said in a statement.
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Protesters march during the May Day demonstration, Wednesday, May 1,
2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla, File)
Other notable U.S. demonstrations include a workers rally at
Philadelphia City Hall with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and
demonstrations at the Colorado State Capitol and in Los Angeles,
Seattle and Washington, D.C.
Immigration marches
While labor and immigrant rights are historically intertwined, the
focus of May Day rallies in the U.S. shifted to immigration in 2006.
That’s when roughly 1 million people, including nearly half a
million in Chicago alone, took to the streets to protest federal
legislation that would’ve made living in the U.S. without legal
permission a felony.
Crowds for May 1 demonstrations have since dwindled with advocacy
groups splintering and shifting activism arenas such as voters
rights.
This year in Chicago, organizers say activism starting Thursday will
last until Cinco de Mayo with boycotts and walkouts. Their focus is
workers' rights but also rising anti-immigrant rhetoric from Trump's
administration.
Organizers acknowledge a chilling effect on immigrant communities
since Trump has cracked down on enforcement, especially in so-called
sanctuary cities including Chicago. They’re expecting lower numbers
of immigrants but are expanding their outreach to more unions,
including for teachers and nurses.
“There’s a lot fear out there,” said Omar Lopez, a longtime Chicago
organizer.
Worldwide celebrations
In some countries, May Day is a public holiday for workers,
including France, Kenya, Russia and China, where it lasts five days.
It’s also a traditional spring celebration that’s observed in ways
that don’t involve marching in the streets or civil disobedience.
In Hawaii, May 1 is called Lei Day, which isn’t an official holiday,
but a statewide celebration of the Hawaiian culture and the aloha
spirit through the creation and giving of lei — usually a necklace
of flowers.
Elsewhere, people mark the holiday by leaving May Day baskets filled
with gifts and flowers on the doorsteps of friends. The city of
Annapolis, Maryland, is set to hold its 70th May Day Basket
Competition, where residents and businesses outdo each other for the
best floral arrangements.
“It’s our community’s way of saying goodbye to winter and welcoming
the beauty and energy of spring,” Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley
said.
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