International Workers Day march in Oakland, CA
Oakland, CA – On the afternoon of Thursday, May 1, more than 2000 community members took to the streets of Oakland in celebration of May Day.
Themes of international working-class solidarity ran through the event, starting with a youth rally in Fruitvale Plaza followed by a march to San Antonio Park where a closing rally and resource fair took place. 25 unions, grassroots organizations, and nonprofits united behind Oakland Sin Fronteras’ call, “All Power to the Workers.”
The multinational crowd voiced strong opposition to state violence and current immigration policies. Uncle Bobby X, uncle of Oscar Grant, a young, Black man murdered by Bay Area Rapid Transit Police in 2009, electrified attendees, declaring, “All power to the people!” and emphasizing, “An attack on immigrants is an attack on all of us.” He spoke to the damaging impact of police violence and fears of increasing ICE activity and deportations, central themes of the day.
Kai Watanabe, a trans organizer with Freedom Road Socialist Organization Oakland, highlighted these concerns: “This year, we've seen the ruling capitalist class qualitatively shift towards open reaction. ICE is silencing students and sending immigrant workers to mega-prisons while basic civil rights are in the crosshairs.”
Echoing this, a childcare provider and leading member of Mujeres Unidas y Activas, spoke of heightened fear under “la nueva administración” (the new administration). She shared, “Mi miedo ha crecido aún más. Ahora trato de no salir de casa por el temor constante a ser detenida y criminalizada simplemente por mi apariencia.” (My fear has grown even more. Now I try not to leave home due to the constant fear of being detained and criminalized simply for my appearance.) She continued, “Nosotros no dejamos nuestros países por gusto. La mayoría de las veces somos forzados a irnos por las consecuencias del capitalismo y el imperialismo.” (We don’t leave our countries by choice. Most of the time we are forced to leave because of the consequences of capitalism and imperialism.)
Visuals along the march underscored these messages. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 10 displayed a prominent banner stating, “No military cargo for Israel's genocidal war against Palestinians.” Another community member held a sign simply reading “No state violence.” Chants of “Free, free Palestine!” and “¡Viva, viva Palestina!” resonated through the streets, further highlighting the event’s international solidarity against oppression and police violence, reinforcing the unified call for worker empowerment.