Austin, TX – On Friday, May 1, labor unions and activist and student groups took the streets of downtown Austin for International Workers Day. Around 200 protesters marched on the Capitol building chanting and holding signs in support of immigrants and workers’ rights.

Before the march, the Austin Central Labor Council held a tabling fair through the rain, with many union locals, like IBEW and AFSCME, and activist groups, including the Freedom Road Socialist Organization giving out information.

Austin Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Students for International Labor Solidarity, and other student groups led a contingent to the Capitol from the UT Austin campus, demanding that UT cut its ties with a company that provides ICE with vehicles for deportations. The students chanted, “UT stop the lies, cut your ties with Enterprise!”

Daniel Ramirez from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization told the crowd, “On May 1, 1886, tens of thousands of workers said ‘enough is enough’ and went out on strike against the bosses and their hired guns. So, when we come out to celebrate the historic workers holiday of May Day, it reminds us that when people are organized, we can land blows against the rotten system we live in. That a better future is possible.”

At the Capitol, SDS talked about the fight against the UT Austin administration as it cut classes and departments that study race and gender. Devon May from SDS talked about how the same Texas government, led by Greg Abbott, that is attacking workers in Texas, is the government that UT admin is bending the knee to.

May said, “Our state government is entirely on the side of the billionaires!” This was met with a flurry of boos and calls of, “Shame,” from the energetic crowd. May ended by highlighting the unity between workers and students, saying “We – the united front of workers and students and immigrants, and everyone else who is tired of living in the shadow of the ruling class – aren’t going to stop until we’ve won everything!”

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