Chicago, IL – Over 8000 people gathered in Union Park on May 1 to celebrate International Workers’ Day and march demanding protection for workers and immigrant rights.

Since May Day last year, Trump sent ICE and Customs and Border Patrol to Chicago for months of terror, with over 3000 members of immigrant communities arrested and taken away. The large contingents marching from immigrant communities in Union Park was a statement of courage.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said during his speech, “We are not going to stop fighting for every single worker and every single working family in this city and in this country and in this world,” and demanded that “we get our fair share of the equitable distribution of the wealth. Are you with me workers?”

Some of the principal organizers of this May Day protest included the Chicago Teacher Union (CTU), Service Employees International Union Health Care Illinois/Indiana, the Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA), and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR).

CTU President Stacy Davis Gates said, “Workers united with communities, across cultures, across industries, win the fight every time. Do not give up your power to assemble and do not give up your power to organize. Workers over billionaires!”

This year CTU organized to make May Day a day of civic action in Chicago. Together with families, they brought out over 800 high school students to participate in the protest. Hundreds of university students and graduate employees were also in attendance.

Nadia Alyafai spoke at the rally for the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) and CATA. She said, “Our city is home to one of the largest Palestinian communities in the United States, alongside a broader Arab immigrant population that has long been at the frontlines of the immigrant rights and other movements in this city. We were there alongside many of you when we put almost a million people in the streets to defeat the Sensenbrenner bill in 2006, and now 20 years later we still are fighting strong for justice for our communities.”

CATA marched with a banner demanding “Legalization for all. Defend voting rights. Stop all U.S. wars!” They marched together with the immigrant rights contingent organized by ICIRR.

Chicago has played a crucial role in the labor and immigrant rights movements. May Day was born in Chicago, the center of the nationwide1886 strike for the eight-hour workday. The resulting repression of the labor movement led to workers around the world declaring May 1 to be International Workers’ Day. On March 10, 2006, Chicago held the first mega march of the immigrant rights movement. That movement then called for nationwide marches on May 1. Over 2 million immigrants and their supporters took to the streets that day, which also brought May Day back to the labor movement in the U.S.

#ChicagoIL #IL #Labor #ImmigrantRights #MayDay #FRSO #CATA #Trump #CTU

Portland, OR – On May 1, protesters gathered downtown for a midday May Day rally held by a coalition of 80-plus unions and non-profit type organizations. This included a march downtown with stops at the Mexican Consulate and an office building that houses the offices of a U.S. senator.

Portland Contra de las Deportaciones (PDXCD) and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) attended this rally, although they were not permitted to endorse due to their demand that the city of Portland “Revoke the Permit” for the Portland ICE facility. PDXCD has been vocal in criticizing the city council and mayor for their lack of action on ICE and thus faced pushback in the movement by organizations aligned with the politicians.

Later, on the evening of May 1, there was a second protest organized by FRSO and PDXCD starting at Elizabeth Caruthers Park near the ICE facility in Portland. The protest was to honor the May Day martyrs who died for workers’ rights and demand an end to the deportations. The protest was attended by approximately 300 people at the park with others joining later at the facility. There were speeches by union members and activists alike. An organizer with PDXCD and ILWU Local 5 member stated, “For as long as our country has existed, the working people have fought back, immigrants have fought back!”

The protest marched to ICE and protesters went into the driveway of the ICE facility. This driveway has frequently become a flashpoint in the past year at Portland ICE protests, with federal agents often setting off teargas and other less than lethal munitions when protesters enter the driveway, which is ungated and next to a frequently used sidewalk in a residential neighborhood.

After legal action and the shootings of U.S. citizens by federal agents in January, there has been much less chemical agent used at the facility. The last reported teargas use appears to be at a PDXCD protest in early February.

Later that night, at approximately 8:30 p.m., state police and Portland police stormed the driveway of the ICE facility occupied by chanting protesters. Three targeted arrests happened at that time. Oregon State Police and Portland police pushed protesters out of the driveway with batons and pepper spray. Arrests included Cole Dunahugh and Dr. Catherine Esperanza, who were then transported to Multnomah County jail.

After a call-in campaign and a picketing at the jail, Cole was released very early Saturday morning, May 2. A press conference was held on Saturday afternoon to continue to demand the release of Dr. Catherine Esperanza. The call-in campaign and picketing at the jail continued. After this pressure, Dr. Esperanza was released Saturday night even though callers had repeatedly been told she would not be let out till Monday morning.

The Oregon State Patrol and Portland Police Bureau’s aggressive action to guard the driveway raises questions about adherence to sanctuary laws. Oregon has labeled itself a sanctuary state and Portland is labeled a sanctuary city. The spirit of the sanctuary law is broken when state and city police actively participate in guarding the driveway of the immigration facility with detention cells used to hold immigrants and some U.S. citizens. Many of these detainments have included unnecessary violence, including violence with firearms.

Oregon has been a sanctuary state since 1987. The city of Portland codified their sanctuary status in October of 2025. In its May 2 press release, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) stated “PPB does not engage in immigration enforcement as outlined in PPB Directive 810.10, but is still responsible for maintaining public safety and enforcing state laws.”

If Oregon residents want to report that sanctuary law is being broken, they can call the Sanctuary Promise Hotline at 1-844-924-7829.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #Labor #MayDay #PDXCD

Philadelphia, PA – Around 100 people gathered in Love Park on May 1, before joining a rally of thousands organized by the Philadelphia AFL-CIO at City Hall. Among these groups were Philadelphia Anti War (PAW), Philadelphia Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression (PAARPR), Anakbayan, Marxist Education Group, Industrial Workers of the World, Workers World Party and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

At the rally, speakers condemned Trump’s actions, U.S. wars, ICE detention and the continued exploitation of workers. A brass band provided entertainment and volunteers offered pretzels and water to those standing in the sun along the crowded John F Kennedy Boulevard.

Around 6 p.m., demonstrators marched northwest, stopping at hotels and other businesses, where union groups demanded higher wages and improved working conditions.

Demonstrators with megaphones led constant chants during this contingent's march. Despite traffic and police flanking the roads, demonstrators showed their commitment to liberation movements with such chants as, “El pueblo unido jamás será vencido,” “From Palestine to Mexico, all the walls have got to go,” “Luchando, creando poder popular,” “Free Mumia Abu-Jamal, brick by brick, wall by wall” and “La migra, la policia, la misma porquería.”

The revolutionary contingent left the march and went to the offices of Day and Zimmerman, the weapons company that produced the munitions that killed Palestinian child Hind Rajab. Members of these progressive groups stood firm as police gathered at either end of the crowd. There, a speaker denounced the imperial violence of U.S. military contractors. The contingent then rejoined the main march, which ended at 7 p.m.

May 1 is an international holiday. It is important that progressive and socialist movements build internationalism. Since the 19th century, the day has celebrated the working class. The day honors their fight against the capitalist systems and their desire to end the oppression of all peoples.

#PhiladelphiaPA #PA #Labor #ImmigrantRights #MayDay #FRSO

Los Angeles, CA – On Friday, May 1, 500 Chicano community members and activists gathered at Mariachi Plaza to rally and march for the 11th annual May Day protest in Boyle Heights. More than 50 different community organizations, unions and local businesses helped put on the event, and were joined by students who walked out of Roosevelt, Garfield and Ed Roybal high schools.

The organizations urged workers fight back, demanding legalization for all, an end to war and police brutality, and to fund public education.

This year’s May Day marks 20 years since the 2006 protests, La Gran Marcha, where millions of immigrants marched against the Sensenbrenner Bill (HR 4437), which aimed to criminalize undocumented immigrants.

“This is the 20-year anniversary to the 2006 mega-marches where Raza and a lot of working class immigrants walked off the job, didn’t go to school and shut the city down by taking the streets in downtown LA,” said Centro CSO immigration co-chair Verita Topete.

The event began with a blessing from Father Brendan from the Dolores Mission church, followed by a rally which included speakers from Centro CSO, Legalization for All, Proyecto Pastoral, About Face, Union De Vecinos, the People’s Care Collective, Immigo and Teamsters Local 396.

Sara Venegas, an Amazon driver who recently unionized with Teamsters Local 396 and then went on an unfair labor practice strike after Amazon retaliated against their union said, “They thought they could kill the fire in our hearts, but they’ve strengthened the flame, and now we’re on a ULP strike. Let’s hold big corporations like Amazon accountable.”

The group took to the streets to march across 1st Street Bridge, chanting “¡Se ve, se siente, el pueblo está presente!” and demands for legalization for all and an end to U.S. wars. As speakers from Black Lives Matter LA and Freedom Road Socialist Organization addressed the crowd, LAPD helicopters hovered above, telling the group to disperse and stop blocking traffic. The police also sent out an Amber Alert to everyone in the area stating that people should avoid the area because an “Unlawful assembly declared.”

Gabriel Quiroz Jr. from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization commented on the ongoing police violence against May Day protests from the Haymarket riots in Chicago, to the streets of Los Angeles today, “The first protest I ever attended was May Day in 2007 at MacArthur Park. I got to see the power of organized Raza. I also got to see political repression by LAPD.”

As the march turned back towards Boyle Heights, speakers from the Palestinian Youth Movement, ILPS, the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador, and Gabriela LA spoke on the how U.S. imperialism affects other countries and the need for working and oppressed people of the world to come together to fight back against it.

“The corrupt Philippine government sold out our country to the United States and the imperialists. They are responsible for the displacement and migration of our people. We are here in solidarity with the working class here in Los Angeles and abroad. Many migrate here for better opportunities, promised the American dream and yet they struggle,” said a member of Gabriela LA.

As the sun set over the march, the crowd danced back into Mariachi Plaza. Throughout the program the speakers encouraged the crowd to join an organization to build the fight against Trump and for an even bigger and more united May Day protest next year.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #Labor #ImmigrantRights #MayDay #FRSO #CentroCSO

Bozeman, MT – On Friday, May 1, Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) Bozeman and Montana State University's chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held a rally in support of workers and immigrants’ rights.

The rally featured FRSO Bozeman member Homa Masood, a spokeswoman from Gallatin County’s Community Rapid Response organization (CRR-GC), and SDS member Evan Minadakis, who spoke to 70 enthusiastic protesters, who held signs that proclaimed, “Immigrants built America” and “Trump is a fraud!” A large banner read “No war, no ICE, no billionaires!”

Masood told the crowd, “May Day isn't just about naming oppression. It's about recognizing power, challenging it, and forcing it back into our hands! Every victory in the history of working people came from organization, solidarity and struggle, and that remains true today!”

CRR-GC's spokeswoman attacked the dangerous 287(g) agreement between Gallatin County and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which allows individuals in Gallatin County’s Detention Center who are eligible for release to be held for an additional 48 hours and ultimately be turned over into ICE custody.

FRSO Bozeman’s Julian Staggs spoke to draw attention to the Gallatin High School walkout held earlier that day. About 50 students walked out of class and gathered outside to protest the nationwide ICE raids of terror unleashed by the federal government against the immigrant communities of the United States and stand in solidarity with those communities.

Evan Minadakis brought forward their SDS chapter's recent victory in kicking Customs and Border Protection out of the university's spring Career Fair, focusing on exemplifying for all that the change created by the organized people may truly move mountains.

“Do not let them convince you that you are weak. do not let them convince you that you have no power,” Minadakis said. “Every single person out here today has the ability to shift the tides, to make waves so massive that they take down any forces that try to stand in their way. Progress isn't something we wish for, it is something we fight for! And until every single corrupt, oppressive billionaire is wiped from this earth, we will continue to fight for progress, and we will continue to win!”

The protest’s final chant was one of “Revolution! Revolution! Revolution! Revolution!” International Worker’s Day is a day for celebration of the worker and the oppressed nationalities of the world, and it is a day to intensify the struggle. Bozeman has begun to walk the road to liberation!

#BozemanMT #MT #Labor #ImmigrantRights #MayDay #FRSO #SDS #StudentMovement

New Orleans, LA – On Friday evening, May 1, a crowd of about 50 community members marched from a statue of Benito Juarez to the New Orleans City Hall for International Workers’ Day. Despite the pouring rain and strong winds, the energy was high.

The action was put on by the immigrants’ rights organization Unión Migrante in coalition with several other organizations and unions. The focus of this year’s march was on ending police and ICE collaboration, defending labor rights, and legalization for all.

Protesters chanted slogans such as “¡No somos criminales, somos esenciales!” (“We're not criminals, we’re essential!”); “¡Chinga la migra!” (“Fuck ICE”); and “Money for jobs and education, not for mass deportation!”

New Orleans has long been a center for ICE operations, with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services Southern field office – formerly located in the heart of its Central Business District. In February of this year, New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno told reporters that the New Orleans Police Department would not sign a formal cooperation agreement with ICE, but they would still “follow the law.” Under Louisiana Act 399, it is illegal for law enforcement to not alert ICE if they released someone who “either illegally entered or unlawfully remained in the United States.”

“It’s not that he [Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry] doesn’t like immigrants, he loves immigrants when it comes to his wallet,” said Alfredo Salazar, a member of Unión Migrante and a first generation Mexican immigrant. “He sends us to be locked up in private prisons that enrich themselves on human suffering.”

After hearing speeches from immigrant speakers about fighting back against Trump’s racist ICE attacks, the determined crowd took the street and marched to City Hall to hear from unions and their struggles against their bosses for better working conditions. Tulane Workers United celebrated their first tentative agreement with Tulane University after 2 years of negotiations. Nurses United members at University Medical Center kicked off a 5-day strike to pressure admin to sign their contract.

“The bankruptcy of this capitalist system has demonstrated itself again and again. The enemy is getting weaker, and we are getting stronger,” said Cristine Farah of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization. Closing out the program, she added, “The future is bright, we just have to take it!”

#NewOrleansLA #LA #Labor #ImmigrantRights #MayDay #FRSO

New York City, NY – Thousands of workers and their families and supporters rallied in New York City to celebrate and honor International Workers’ Day on May 1, marching through downtown Manhattan from Washington Square Park to Foley Square. The May Day rally was called by the NYC Central Labor Council, which represents among many unions, the Laborers International Union Local 78, UAW CFU and ALAA, HTC (Hotel, Gaming, and Trades Counsel), IATSE and SEIU/32BJ.

The labor unions participating in the march highlighted workplace issues under Trump, including direct attacks on organized labor, and the use of ICE agents to terrorize workers and their families. One large contingent in the march was led by the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, whose members carried large banners that read “Revive the strike!” and “ICE out of everywhere!”

Notable labor groups participating also included the Movement of Rank and File Educators (MORE) caucus of the UFT and members of Teamsters for a Democratic Union.

Jacob Muldoon, a member of TDU and Teamsters Local 804 said, “I’m here with FRSO at the May Day Rally at Washington Square Park. I’m a proud union member with the Teamsters and we’re to celebrate International Workers’ Day and to say happy May Day! We need to fight for workers’ rights, fight for ICE out of our communities, and fight for a better world.”

Lee Dynes, a member of FRSO and teacher with the MORE caucus of UFT added: “it’s amazing to see so many unionists and activists come out in solidarity with the working class and with oppressed peoples all over the world. International Workers Day is a wonderful opportunity for us unionized workers to build solidarity with the other peoples’ movements, and with each other.”

Community organizations also showed up, including Brooklyn Against War (BAW), a local group fighting to free Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, and to end U.S. aggression.

BAW member Collin Poirot explained, “We are here today because we know that the wars and aggression against Iran, Venezuela, Palestine and so many other countries have no benefit to the workers here. The strike on Venezuela to illegally kidnap President Maduro cost $3 billion, and the war on Iran has cost $35 billion. Those dollars spent bombing and oppressing workers in other countries should have been used to support working class families right here in the United States.”

Chants included “They’ve got the money, we’ve got the might! Shut it down, revive the strike!” alongside calls for “ICE out!” and “Money for jobs and education, not for wars and deportations!”

New Yorkers interested in joining the labor movement should attend FRSO NYC’s General Meeting on May 9, which will focus on the topic of “Reviving the Strike: The Task of Socialists in the Labor Movement”. The meeting is open to the public, and the registration link can be found on the @frsonyc Instagram page.

#NewYorkCityNY #NY #Labor #ImmigrantRights #MayDay

San Jose, CA – On May 1, 1500 people gathered in East San Jose for the annual San Jose May Day march. This year marked 20 years since May Day was revived in the United States with the 2006 immigrant rights megamarches in protest of the racist, anti-immigrant Sensenbrenner bill. This year, the May Day march began at the intersection of Story and King, an historic center of the Chicano community in San Jose and the same starting location as the 2006 march.

Local singer and songwriter Miguel Trujillo kicked off the opening rally with several songs about the struggles of workers and immigrants.

Louie Rocha, one of the original lead organizers of the 2006 May Day march and retired CWA worker, spoke to the crowd, “Over 200,000 marched and that march started from right here at Story and King Roads. The thousands of marchers included workers, mothers, fathers, families, students, small business owners, to support a fair immigration policy and to also demand respect for those that toil for jobs and services that are least desired.”

“Millions more marched across the country that day. On that day young and old were united. On that day every color in our community was present and marched united for justice. The people watched over the people. HR 4437 ultimately did not pass Congress. We need to keep organizing,” Rocha continued.

This year, as in 2006, the May Day march was joined by walkouts by hundreds of high school students. In all, seven San Jose high schools held walkouts to join the march.

Jonathan Soria, one of the leading student organizers for the walkouts, spoke to the crowd at Story and King, “As a first generation Mexican American, who comes from a background of hard-working immigrants, I am here to say: this country was built by immigrants, and they are here to stay – este país fue construido por inmigrantes, y están aquí para quedarse.”

Soria continued, “My parents as well as many other immigrants went through so much in hopes of giving their children a chance at life that they never received. We are tired of the racism that we have endured in this country. The oppression we have suffered. So now we are here to let it be known that we will no longer tolerate the same treatment. Going forward we will continue to make our voices heard and fight for our people.”

Jessica Aviles from Community Service Organization San Jose stated, “We are currently facing an administration that’s pitting the working class against each other. They cut federal funding towards resources like medical, SNAP benefits and many more that are necessary to our communities and increase funding for ICE and DHS who are terrorizing our immigrant communities.”

Aviles continued, “They’re doing all of this while telling us that the immigrants are at fault when in reality it’s just an excuse for the system that is failing us all. We may ask ourselves, why are they trying to keep us apart? The answer is plain and simple – because when we fight, we win. We all have to keep showing up because the fight is far from over. We have to be there for our communities so they can remain strong.”

The crowd marched from Story and King to San Jose City Hall, stopping along the way for chanting and more speeches. There were many union contingents, including ATU 265, SEIU 2015, LiUNA 270, CWA District 9, California Fast Food Workers Union, UFCW 5, and the South Bay Labor Council. The crowd changed, “ICE out!” and “El pueblo unido jamas sera vencido!” People waved a variety of flags, from Mexico, to Palestine, to Iran.

At San Jose City Hall, the program continued as attendees checked out resource tables from local community organizations. The event concluded with cultural performances, including folkorico dancers and live music.

San Jose May Day is organized annually by the San Jose May Day Coalition.

#SanJoseCA #CA #Labor #ImmigrantsRights #MayDay

Seattle, WA – On May 1, Seattle's May Day march saw thousands of workers, students, immigrants, community organizations and other attendees gather at Cal Anderson Park to celebrate International Workers’ Day.

This year’s May Day march brought together the people’s movements. Leading the way was the workers movement, represented by labor unions as well as the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), and the movement for immigrant rights. Also represented was the anti-war movement under the slogan of “Services, not war!”

May 2026 nears the 18-month mark of the second Trump administration’s war on the working class. Since taking office, Trump and his followers in the government have carried out nonstop attacks on everything from wage protections to safety regulations to retaliation safeguards for farmworkers. One of the greatest assaults came last year when Trump signed an order ending collective bargaining rights for federal workers, weakening their ability to unionize.

In her May Day speech, April Sims, president of the Washington State Labor Council, stated, “it has always been us, the workers, against anti-worker politicians and the billionaires who pull their strings,” Sims said. “Those billionaires and those politicians don’t give a shit about us, about our dignity, about our rights. They want to suck us dry for profit. Work us to the bone, chew us up and spit us out.”

At the same time, the Trump administration has been escalating its war on immigrants. January of this year saw a regime of immigration terror descend on Minneapolis, Minnesota, which resulted in the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of immigration agents. Here in Washington, immigration terror is most clearly seen at the Northwest Detention Center (NWDC) in Tacoma, which holds roughly 1600 people and is one of the largest detention centers in the country. In February of this year, a lawsuit was filed against GEO Group, which runs the NWDC, on behalf of detained people beaten and sexually assaulted by the NWDC jailers.

Connecting the shared struggle for immigrant and workers rights, Zenia Javalera, president of SEIU6, said, “Under the Trump administration, our immigrant communities and working families face constant attacks. The aggressive and inhumane ICE terror campaigns have torn families apart, violated people’s civil rights, detained workers, and have placed people on deportation flights, shackled into seats, flown thousands of miles away under conditions that no one should ever endure. And I want to share some information about these flights, because these flights are part of a cottage industry built for the benefit of companies like Avelo Airlines, GlobalX Air, Eastern Airlines and Omni Air International. They each are making millions off of these contracts!”

Trump has kept up the U.S. imperialist policy of war, genocidal sanctions, bombings, and assassinations against anti-imperialist states and movements in Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, Cuba and Venezuela. Trump’s deranged warmongering has brought about a global oil crisis, the effects of which are most strongly felt in Southeast Asia, but which also affect workers in the U.S. Average gas prices in Washington state have climbed to $5.57 per gallon. This added fuel cost will continue to drive inflation even higher, especially the price of food. With rising prices at the gas pump and at the grocery store, working people pay out of pocket for Trump’s wars.

Joel Schillinger, a member of Seattle Against War, said that the highly unpopular war on Iran, “has cost the U.S. taxpayers an estimated $1 billion per day, and has caused unimaginable suffering for the people of Iran. $1 billion per day for workers and families would be life-changing! Instead, U.S. workers are losing jobs, and families are struggling from losing life-saving services.”

But Trump’s attacks, far from cowing the labor movement and the movement for immigrant rights, have only done the opposite. With every assault, more and more people are saying, “Enough is enough.”

“The billionaires want us to feel powerless,” said April Sims. “But look around my friends. Are we powerless? Do we look powerless to you?” The celebration of May Day in Seattle is also a reminder that far from being separate issues, every attack on the working class is also an attack on immigrants, and every attack on immigrants is an attack on the working class.”

122 years ago, the Marxist revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin said, “In its struggle for power the proletariat has no other weapon but organization.” May Day is a yearly reminder that everything workers and the oppressed have won over the years, they won through militant organizing – in labor unions, in mass community defense and anti-war organizations, and ultimately in revolutionary communist parties that succeeded at putting political power itself in the hands of the workers.

The need for militant organization was echoed by the crowd of thousands at Seattle’s May Day march as they made their way through downtown Seattle chanting, “Union power on the rise! Now’s the time to organize!”

Many ask, “How or where do I organize?” At 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 3 at Cherry Street Village, FRSO will host a May Day panel on building labor militancy, the fight for immigrant rights, and the need for revolutionary organization. Anyone who wants to take the next step from showing up to fighting back should attend.

#SeattleWA #WA #Labor #ImmigrantRights #MayDay

Minneapolis, MN – On Friday, May 1, a coalition led by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) and the Indigenous Protectors Movement (IPM) and endorsed by more than 60 unions, immigrant rights groups, and other progressive organizations took to the streets in Minneapolis to commemorate their 20th annual march on International Workers’ Day.

The coalition demanded ICE out of Minnesota and legalization for all, as the march came after months of heightened struggle against a federal occupation of the city by immigration agents and militant clashes between the people and ICE. 10,000 protesters marched, chanted, held signs and celebrated at this year’s International Workers’ Day march.

The march flooded Lake Street, the heart of the immigrant community in South Minneapolis, with large banners and flags, and contingents of various unions, immigrant rights groups, anti-war groups, student groups and other progressive movements. As is tradition for MIRAC May 1 marches, the lead banner was held by youth, this year a group of high school students. The massive march had three sound trucks, each with their own speaker programs. People and families lined the sidewalks on Lake street to join in on chants and cheer the march on, coming out of the various immigrant businesses to show their support.

Just before the program began, progressive Minneapolis City Council members held a brief press conference to read the city council’s resolution recognizing May 1 as International Workers Day, followed by a performance by Danza Unida.

At the starting rally, the crowd heard from Diego Guaman from Operación Vuelo Sagrado, a grassroots community group that was created as a direct response to the growing crackdown on immigrants in Minnesota and the need to protect, inform and support immigrant families.

“Being an immigrant is not a crime, fighting for your rights is not a crime and speaking up is not a crime!” said Diego Guaman.

Manuel Pascual, a member of MIRAC, told the crowd some May Day history and the importance of taking the streets on the city’s 20th annual May 1 march, “Every year we are out here on May 1 and every year we mean the same thing: this is the workers’ day. The immigrant workers’ day! The only holiday in the world that belongs to us!” He ended his speech by telling the crowd about MIRAC’s current campaign for a Sanctuary State in Minnesota and an end to all state and local collaboration with ICE. “We are organizing, we are showing up, we are pulling our neighbors back when ICE tries to take them. Today is the rehearsal, tomorrow we keep going!”

The march stopped at Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue, the site of a large federal operation where immigration agents were present in June of 2025. The crowd heard from Isavela López, an activist who was brutalized by federal agents that day and now faces bogus federal charges.

“I know that I am not alone,” said López, “Right now it’s more than about me, it’s about the kids in Palestine, it’s about the people in Venezuela, and it’s about the people that are still in detention centers right now!”

Benji Gomez, a rank-and-file member of Teamsters Local 638 who also organized a pantry for immigrant families out of his garage during Operation Metro Surge with the help of other Teamsters from his local, told the crowd, “I am an immigrant. I am also the first in my family to join a union and it's given me real power. Unions exist because workers stood together and demanded dignity, fair wages, safe conditions and respect, and so often those workers were immigrants, people with the least protection but the courage to organize anyway! That’s still true today.”

The march also featured speakers from Minnesota AFL-CIO President Bernie Burnham, MFE Local 59 President Marcia Howard, members of Asamblea de Derechos Civiles, MN8, Monique Cullors-Doty with the Righteous 39, the MN Anti-War Committee, and many others representing their unions and other grassroots organizations.

The Freedom Road Socialist Organization had a large and visible contingent in the march.

The march ended at a Target store across the street from the former (burned down) 3rd Precinct with a theater performance calling out Target and corporate greed, as well as more speeches inspiring the crowd to continue to take action. At the end of the march, organizers encouraged participants to eat at the immigrant businesses on Lake Street and attend an after-party at Mercado Central to finish up the day.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #Labor #ImmigrantRights #MayDay #MIRAC #FRSO

Havana, Cuba – May 1, over half a million Cubans and hundreds of international delegates attended the International Workers’ Day celebration in Havana, Cuba. Cuban citizens and international delegates started the day at Revolutionary Square and marched five kilometers (roughly two miles) to the celebration and demanded no war on Cuba and an end to the blockade through chants and songs.

Working-class Cubans walked miles into town to reach the starting point of the march. While the U.S. oil blockade continues to cause a restriction on travel due to lack of oil, it failed to defeat the revolutionary spirit of the over half a million Cubans in Havana and over 5 million in total across the nation in their celebration of the triumphs of the working class.

The march was full of chants from international brigades joining together in solidarity. Attendees marched by side, with chants like, “Cuba sí, bloqueo no!” “¡Viva Cuba!” “¡Viva Fidel!” and “El pueblo unido jamas sera vencido!”

The vast march, which included workers from every sector of Cuban society, rallied in support of President Miguel-Díaz-Canel and the Communist Party, who also participated.

The ceremony consisted of speeches celebrating Cuba’s revolutionary leaders, principally Fidel Castro, as well as Raul Castro (the latter in attendance) with patriotic Cuban music. The crowd was covered in Cuban flags of all sizes as well as flags from other countries such as Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Palestine, South Africa, Brazil and the Dominican Republic.

The event finished with Cubans and international delegates dancing to music together as they left without incident, the overall demand being no war on Cuba and an end to the U.S. blockade on Cuba.

#HavanaCuba #Cuba #International #Labor #MayDay

New Orleans, LA – Beginning at 7 a.m. on May 1, around 50 nurses, staffers and community members picketed in front of the University Medical Center (UMC) to mark the start of a five-day strike. Nurses are demanding that LCMC Health System, which runs UMC, agree to the contract that the union has been fighting for over two years. Among their demands are better wages, more staffing, and the rehiring of nurse Mike Robertshaw, who was fired for his involvement with the union.

“We’re going to light the fire of a labor movement in New Orleans that will burn bright with labor relations, living wages, comprehensive health insurance and safe staffing,” said nurse David Duplechain in a rousing speech.

The striking nurses are registered with National Nurses United and are currently the only nurses' union in the state. The union local represents over 600 nurses and was registered in December of 2023 with an 82% vote. Since forming the union, nurses at UMC have gone on strike six times now, yet the company continues to refuses to agree to a contract. Every day the nurses go on strike, LCMC pays roughly $2 million to replace them with temporary workers.

“They know that if they don’t silence us, they’ve got an infestation of union nurses,” said Kim Triplett, a nurse in the hospital’s psych unit.

At each round of negotiations so far, LCMC has refused to sign the proposed contract, even going so far as to lock striking nurses out of the hospital and fire known union organizers. The union local recently filed a grievance with the National Labor Relations Board, arguing that the company has engaged in bad-faith bargaining.

“We have filed an unfair labor practice because we are tired of their surface bargaining. We have been at this fight for two years,” said Hailey Dupre, a nurse on the bargaining team.

Despite the resistance from management and high turnover rates, the nurses have not let up.

“I have fought for this community all my life, and I’m not gonna stop. We are going to win this,” said Terry Mogilles, who has been a nurse for several decades now.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #Labor #Strike #Nurses

Washington, DC – Community members flooded the streets on May 1 for a march in honor of May Day. The weather was bright and sunny with a cool breeze, making conditions favorable for an energized crowd. Nearly 10,000 feet hit the ground at the National Mall in front of the Washington Monument and marched up past the White House, through Black Lives Matter Plaza, and ending at Franklin Park.

May Day commemorates a long history of workers and immigrants’ struggles. Protesters showed out for immigrant workers in force and stood in steadfast solidarity with working and oppressed people both at home and globally. Chants such as “¡Sí se puede!” and “What’s disgusting? Union busting!” highlighted the strength of the many contingents as they marched in lockstep with one another.

Once the group reached Franklin Park, speakers took the stage and spoke about the importance of uniting in defense of immigrant workers and victims of police crimes.

The National Education Association (NEA) president delivered a fiery speech, addressing Trump directly: “You thought deploying thousands of troops would stop us from organizing. To that we say ‘Hell no!’”

A defining moment of the program was hearing from those directly impacted by ICE violence. The wives of Kilmar Abrego Garcia and Rodney Taylor, men who were kidnapped by ICE within the past year, both delivered powerful speeches about the impact on their family and the importance of the movement in fighting to free their spouses.

Mildred Danis-Taylor, wife of Rodney Taylor, read a letter from him describing the horrendous conditions at Stewart Detention Center in Georgia. She demanded his release and an end to the entire deportation system, saying “When we say, ‘ICE out now,’ we mean dismantle a system built on exploitation and harm. May Day is a demand for dignity, protection and freedom, because no worker is free until we are all free!”

Both women stood in solidarity with the mother of Phillip Brown, who was unable to attend due to the risk of police repression. Her son was nearly killed by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) officers when they shot into his car over a traffic stop. The U.S. Attorney’s DC office declined to charge the HSI agents because “no one was hit by the bullets.” Merawi Gerima, a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) and the Families Not Feds (FNF) Coalition, spoke on behalf of Phillip Brown’s mother at the rally.

“It took the movement six months to get two laws passed to force MPD to release the bodycam footage of this near-murder, but that’s not enough,” says Gerima. “Our focus is to pass legislation to limit federal agent activity in this city, and to hold them accountable for crimes such as this.”

With the rise in repression from the racist and reactionary Trump regime, more people than ever have been pulled into the struggle. Honoring the legacy of May Day in the city further emphasized the throughline between all the people’s movements, especially the fight for community control of the police and legalization for all. The people united will never be defeated! ¡El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!

The action was organized by CASA, an immigrant rights organization based in the DMV region, with the help of several other organizations such as FRSO, the FNF Coalition, DC Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression (DCAARPR), NEA, and Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

#WashingtonDC #Labor #ImmigrantsRights #MayDay

Billings, MT – On Friday, May 1, the Billings Alliance for Immigrant Rights (BAIR) held a protest at the Yellowstone County Courthouse to celebrate International Workers’ Day. 40 people rallied to demand ICE get out of Billings, stop the deportations, and to fight for workers’ and immigrants’ rights.

As the rally was beginning, a pro-ICE disrupter stumbled around the crowd, belligerently shouting anti-immigrant statements. Protesters quickly shut this down by chanting “Up, up with liberation! Down, down with deportations!” and blocking the man with their bodies and signs. The racist counter-protester quickly gave up and walked into traffic to shout by himself on the opposite side of the road. Rally-goers celebrated and held that militant and enthusiastic energy for the rest of the protest.

Mindy Nielsen, a member of BAIR and retired, forty-plus year rank-and-file member of the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 132 addressed the crowd first. Nielsen spoke about the 46-year-old Amazon warehouse worker in Oregon who died while working. His peers were forced to continue working as his body lay on the floor for over an hour before medics were called.

Nielsen recalled similar treatment working at USPS, saying, “The lack of concern for workers was the same before I retired. We were not allowed to call 911, even if we could find a phone with an outside line. And this was before cell phones. My APWU union was able to stop that insanity!”

Delphine Camarillo, granddaughter of Mexican immigrants and executive board member of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) local 775 has worked as a homecare giver for 34 years. She spoke about the protection for immigrant workers won by her union.

“We formed immigration working committees and added language to our contract to protect those who need it. Our employees will not cooperate with ICE any more than they have to according to the real and pre-existing laws,” Camarillo stated. She closed her speech by chanting “When we fight, we win!” with the crowd.

Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) member Lain Dorsey, gave the final speech, explaining the logic behind Trump’s attacks. “Donald Trump is a reactionary! The cuts to social services, launching illegal wars, and using ICE to terrorize immigrants is a reaction to the progress that we’ve made for workers’ and immigrants’ rights.”

Dorsey continued, “Trump and his billionaire friends want to turn back the clock on the progress our movements have made. Are we gonna let them do that?” Protesters shouted “Hell no!”

May Day is a celebration of the contributions of labor activists, but it is also a reminder that the struggle continues. This was highlighted as the workers, union members and family members of immigrants closed the protest by invoking the late Assata Shakur, chanting, “We have nothing to lose but our chains!”

#BillingsMT #MT #Labor #ImmigrantsRights #MayDay

Indianapolis, IN – Around 100 workers, union members and community allies gathered Friday evening, May 1, at Monument Circle to mark International Workers’ Day with an energetic May Day rally centered on solidarity and a renewed pro-labor program for Central Indiana.

Organized by the Central Indiana AFL-CIO and Teamsters Local 135, the rally brought together a cross-section of the local labor movement. Speakers from Teamsters Local 135, the Indiana AFL-CIO, UAW Region 2B, IUOE Local 399, BCTGM Local 372A, AFSCME Local 3395, and SAG-AFTRA addressed the assembly of workers from the podium. Community allies, including Indivisible Central Indiana and students from across the state, also attended.

May Day, rooted in the 19th-century struggle of U.S. workers for the eight-hour workday, set the tone for the evening as speakers emphasized the continued relevance of that fight amid rising costs of living, anti-union policies, and employer resistance to organizing.

Dustin Roach, president of Teamsters Local 135, opened the May Day rally with a fiery call for renewed worker militancy. “International Workers’ Day was a day built on sacrifice, struggle and worker power,” said Roach. “In 1886, workers in this country fought, they bled, and they died for an eight-hour workday. Did they get that by asking nicely? Hell no! They stood together and they took that shit. Here we are over 100 years later, and we're still dealing with the same bullshit today. Different year, same fight. Working people versus corporate greed.”

Roach asked the crowd, “Who built this city?” They responded in unison, “We built this city!”

Dakota Massman, a Teamster table games dealer at Horseshoe Indianapolis casino, delivered a powerful speech recounting the workers’ 52-day strike for union recognition last year and their ongoing fight with Caesars Entertainment.

Massman told the crowd, “Every workplace has the right, every worker the ability, to carry the torch of the working class and become union,” Massman said. “Don't be afraid. I promise you from experience, if you have a little faith and the backing of a strong union, things will turn out better. Solidarity will always win, so let's get to work building a stronger labor movement.”

Tavish Bryan of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at Purdue University spoke about an ongoing campaign demanding transparency from the administration over what organizers say is a de facto ban on international graduate students, particularly from countries such as China and Iran. Bryan emphasized that while the full scope of the policy remains unclear due to a lack of transparency, its effects are already being felt by graduate and research assistants, many of whom are international workers who perform a large share of the university’s academic labor. The campaign also calls for protections for international students and pushes back against broader anti-immigrant policies, linking these attacks to declining conditions, wages and rights for graduate workers more broadly.

“This isn't just about Purdue,” said Bryan. “This is about a system that divides workers to weaken them. But we know the truth: An injury to one is an injury to all. If international workers are under attack, all workers are under attack. That's why SDS at Purdue stands with graduate workers – teaching assistants, research assistants, all of them – in the fight for living wages, the right to organize without fear, and dignity on the job, no matter where you're from.”

Throughout the rally, chants echoed across Monument Circle: “An injury to one is an injury to all!” and “We ain’t no one’s working slaves, we deserve a living wage!” and “They say give back, we say fight back!”

Union members carried signs reading “Organize!” “Fight back!” and “Stop the war on workers,” while two large banners framed the gathering: “Labor built this city,” and another displaying the rally’s six-point Pro-Labor Agenda. Some attendees carried signs that read, “Fight for workers and immigrant rights!”

The Pro-Labor Agenda, highlighted repeatedly by speakers, called for a living wage for all workers, healthcare for all, retirement with dignity, protection of the right to strike and honor picket lines, repeal of “right-to-work-for-less” laws, and resistance to attacks on voting rights.

Near the end of the event, rally organizers called for a moment of silence in observance of Workers Memorial Day, which was on April 28 and recognizes workers who have lost their lives on the job. They also held a moment of silence for Alex Pretti, a VA hospital nurse and AFGE member, who was murdered by ICE in Minneapolis earlier this year.

Despite chilly weather, the crowd remained energized throughout the event. The rally concluded with participants joining together to sing Solidarity Forever.

#IndianapolisIN #IN #Labor #MayDay #Teamsters

Dallas, TX – On May 1, 600 workers, students and community members converged at Dallas City Hall demanding an end to billionaire rule and for a society that puts working people first.

The rally took place at Dallas City Hall and was organized by Dallas Fort Worth May Day Coalition, made up of community organizations, labor unions, including the North Texas Area Labor Federation, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Young Active Labor Leaders, Palestinian Youth Movement, and the Revolutionary Front, among others.

Organizers are framing the action not as a symbolic protest, but as part of a broader strategy to build real working-class power.

Marching through the streets of Dallas, the crowd chanted, “When workers’ rights are under attack, What do we do? Stand up! Fight back!”

FRSO organizer Faye Damara stated, ”We can build movements that can win victories on the shop floor, victories against the cops, victories against war, victories where we seize a little more power and then use that power to seize a little more. Day by day, degree by degree.”

May 1, International Workers Day, has its roots in the U.S. labor movement, particularly the struggle for the eight-hour workday. Today, it is observed globally as a day of worker solidarity, even as it remains marginalized in official U.S. politics.

Ultimately, the Dallas May Day protest was about power—who has it, and who doesn’t.

As inequality widens and political institutions increasingly serve the interests of the ruling class, more and more workers are concluding that change will not come from above. Instead, it will come from collective action: strikes, walkouts and mass mobilizations, that make this country ungovernable.

#DallasTX #TX #Labor #ImmigrantsRights #MayDay

New York City, NY – On April 29, UFT teachers from the Movement of Rank and File Educators (MORE) and community members who engages with the NYC public school system flooded the New York City Department of Education’s “Panel for Educational Policy.”

First, they rallied outside the panel venue at Sun Yat Sen Intermediate School at 5:30 p.m., with speeches calling on the department to give more material support for immigrant students being abducted by ICE, to oppose the encroachment of AI in public education, and criticizing the push from the New York Police Department to establish buffer zones around schools.

Teachers chanted, “When immigrant students are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!”

Then the activists went inside. They were all wearing red and holding signs like “More support for our immigrant students!” and “No AI!” The teachers lined up for public comment, criticizing their bosses, the education department and the chancellor about the backward budget plan and its connection to big education technology companies, as well as for the lack of material support and guidance for immigrant students.

While the panel tried to shut down speakers for being “off topic,” union activist and Bronx teacher Lee Dynes during his public comment, “When’s the last time you were in a classroom? If ever? It’s the teachers and the students who really know the problems that we are dealing with.”

A longtime MORE member and teacher said to the panel, “We have all this money for AI, but somehow we don't have any money for legal support for our immigrant students.” She continued, with the crowd applauding, “We’re asking for some clear and immediate actions: we ask that the DoE denounce any detention, removal, or family separation by ICE within 24 hours; that teachers and school staff be allowed to go to 26 Federal Plaza during the work day to support impacted families, and trainings to ensure staff know what to do when immigration enforcement is outside of schools, and what happens if they come inside.”

In New York City, there are no democratically elected school boards like there are in other cities. Instead, there is “mayoral control”, where the mayor appoints the relevant positions of the DoE. Therefore, pressuring DoE officials at the Panel for Educational Policy, during a tiny two-minute 30-second window once a month, is one of the only ways teachers and community members can speak out on educational policy in NYC, and push to the forefront the most pressing issues that schools, teachers, and students are facing today.

#NewYorkCityNY #NY #Labor #Teachers #Education #UFT #MORE

On International Workers’ Day, we uplift the past and present global struggles for a better world. We commit to carrying the torches of liberation forward, because there’s much to fight against, and much to fight for. Monopoly capitalism is built on exploitation, and it hands down needless suffering, environmental ruin and endless wars. The decay is obvious. Prices soar, families are bankrupted by medical costs, millions are saddled with crushing debt and working people who were already on the brink are being pushed into ruin. The system delivers obscene profits to the ones on top who are relentless in pursing profits. We should be even more relentless in building the united forces of workers and oppressed people that can take them down.

May Day is a reminder that the people organized can land blows against this system. It cuts right through the lie that nothing will change, or we can’t do any better.

The history of May Day itself is rooted in a great upsurge in the class struggle. It began in Chicago in 1886, where workers in the factories bore brutal working conditions and extreme hours. They said enough is enough and flooded the streets, clashing with the hired guns of the robber barons. The state then executed four of the strike leaders. The martyred working-class heroes became a rallying point for people power, and May 1 became the day for working people to advance our demands.

Under the banner of struggle, huge May Day demonstrations take place around the world every year. This year is the 20-year anniversary of the mega-marches – the immigrant rights struggle against the racist Sensenbrenner bill that brought May Day back to the forefront as a day of mass protest in the U.S.

Across the country, the great upsurge against ICE thuggery and the fight against mass deportation created a force that has pulled forward all the people’s struggles. These are the first major battles fought against the Trump agenda, bringing out a broad grouping of people and forging new fighters. From Los Angeles to Chicago, people rebelled with massive demonstrations and a show of force to push back Trump’s attacks.

ICE agents, emboldened and violent, have murdered members of the community, immigrants as well as the people standing up for them, in cold blood. In Minneapolis, a three weeks after the murder of Renee Good, Alex Pretti was killed, just blocks from where George Floyd was executed, in a community where a history of broad resistance to state violence reverberates. These crimes activated people in the tens of thousands to take to the streets. Trump and his ICE goons tried to swallow Minneapolis whole, but they ended up choking.

These battles became a “whose side are you on” moment. Whole sections of people were activated for the first time. In each upsurge, the outpouring of people who want to fight back shows that we’re living in different times than past decades. More and more people see that this system, monopoly capitalism, has no future. It’s a system sitting on a rotten and cracked foundation failing to meet the needs of the many while enriching the few.

In the era of imperialism, we stand in solidarity with workers and oppressed people everywhere. The U.S.-Israel war on Iran is indefensible. They want to destroy the camp of resistance that has been at the forefront of the fight for Palestine. We’re glad if Iran succeeds, not only because the war is wrong, but because we share a common enemy: the monopoly capitalists at the helm of the war machine.

U.S. imperialism is on the decline, and the rate at which things are coming apart in this country is picking up speed. The growth of the revolutionary movement is on the rise as well. We want to take every opportunity to bring more people into the fight.

Our movements are going to come out of this era stronger than they went in. People are changed forever by participating in these battles: their outlook, their views on what’s possible and their understanding of what it’s going to take to bring this system down. We’re not looking to keep things steady. We want to fan the flames.

On International Workers Day:

Fight for Workers & Immigrants’ Rights!

ICE Out! Stop the Deportations!

Down with Trump & the Billionaires!

No to War on Iran, Lebanon & Palestine!

#Statement #FRSO #Labor #ImmigrantRights #PeoplesStruggles #Featured

Los Angeles, CA — On the morning of April 29, Centro Community Service Organization (CSO) and other organizations announced the 11th Annual May Day rally.

The press conference took place at Mariachi Plaza, with live music and speeches. Speakers announced that a celebration and march of International Workers Day is set to take place in Boyle Heights at 3 p.m., May 1, at Mariachi Plaza. The event will include live music, resource tables and a march to downtown.

Reuben Navarrete, a Teamster, stated, “We want to unite all workers on May Day. Teamsters are made up of immigrants, and we will continue to be immigrants! This is why our demands on Friday will include legalization for all as well as stop the war on Iran. Join us on May Day!”

The resonating demands of this year’s May Day in Boyle Heights include: “Workers: stand up, fight back! ¡Raza si, guerra no! Legalization for all! No kids in cages! Stop police brutality! Fund public education!”

Led by CSO members Roberto Anguiano and Verita Topete, the press conference previewed what is to come on May 1.

Gabriel Quiroz Jr, who helps lead the Police Accountability Committee of Centro CSO remembered the 2007 May Day in Los Angeles. Quiroz Jr. said, “In 2007, I was a young Chicano at my first protest. It took place at MacArthur Park. I had never seen so much Raza and I remember thinking how powerful Chicanos can be when we are organized. As a youth I knew that type of Chicano power intimidated the system and that is why LAPD repressed the peaceful protest. That continues to happen today, but we keep fighting and the Chicano movement is only getting stronger.”

Other speakers were Pat Alviso of Military Speaks Out, Takoune Norasingh of Veterans for Peace, Kathy Carreño of IMMIGO, Enrique Velasquez of Proyecto Pastoral, and Sol Márquez of Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Enrique Velasquez with Proyecto Pastoral said, “It is important to express our anger and discontent with the current administration. We are against the terror they have inflicted on our low-income and immigrant communities. We hope to see you Friday!”

If you are interested in attending this year’s annual and peaceful May Day in Boyle Heights, join the event on Friday, May 1 at 3 p.m.. The program begins at 4 p.m. and the march is planned for 5 p.m.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #Labor #MayDay #CentroCSO #ChicanoLatino

Oakland, CA – On Thursday, April 23, more than 40 people gathered for an art build to prepare for Oakland’s upcoming May 1 rally, march, and resource fair commemorating International Workers’ Day. The event was hosted by Eastside Arts Alliance and organized by Oakland Sin Fronteras, a coalition of over 20 organizations and workers’ unions.

Member organizations include Eastside Arts Alliance, Community Service Organization of Oakland (CSO Oakland), Oakland Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression (OAARPR), Trabajadores Unidos Workers United (TUWU), Bay Area Cuba Solidarity Network, Bay Resistance, California Nurses Association, National Union of Healthcare Workers, SEIU 1020, Alameda Labor Council, Speak Out, East Bay DSA, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and others.

“This year, May Day is especially important,” said Danny Celaya from CSO Oakland. “May 1, 2026 marks 20 years since the historic 2006 mass protests for immigrant rights, when over 3 million across the U.S. rose up against the anti-immigrant ‘Sensenbrenner Bill,’ which attempted to make it a felony to be undocumented or to assist undocumented folks. Those protests defeated the bill and revived May Day in this country. We’re excited to be helping organize this alongside the incredible folks at Oakland Sin Fronteras. We’re keeping the fight going by demanding the release of Bay Area activist and tattoo artist Guillermo Medina Reyes from the for-profit detention center in California City, owned by CoreCivic.”

CSO Oakland is a member of the Legalization for All Network (L4A)

The movement is experiencing a powerful wave of new, young activists, as seen by the many high school walkouts nationwide protesting ICE. At Oakland’s Art Build, that trend continued as high school students made up the majority of attendees, painting banners, signs and creating bucket drums alongside longtime organizers.

“The reason it’s important to involve youth in art builds and help them see how they can be part of May Day is that this generation is witnessing everything we see online and in the news. They want to express themselves, and we’re facilitating safe spaces for that expression and practice. They can take up the baton and move into movement spaces because we need to pass the baton to the next generation. One of the best ways to do that is by having them see themselves in the roles we play today,” said a member of 67 Sueños, a local immigrant rights organization focused on supporting undocumented and mixed-status youth in Oakland.

Beyond immigrant rights, Oakland’s May Day events will also demand an end to U.S. aggression overseas—especially urgent given this year’s U.S.-Israeli bombardments on Iran, Palestine and Lebanon, as well as U.S. attacks on Venezuela and Cuba. They also call for stronger workers’ rights and class solidarity, an end to state violence; and the return of loved ones from prisons, jails and detention centers.

“Solidarity has two parts: unity and struggle. There are many different people represented here today, but we are united in our mutual commitment to justice,” said Noah Teller from OAARPR. “The Oakland Alliance is here to demand justice for Jalani Lovett as part of a broader struggle against state violence. When one of us wins, we all win.”

Music and art will be central to the program, with several performances scheduled, including within the march. Attendees of the art build also took part in a drum line rehearsal to keep the march organized and motivated.

“El arte da vida al movimiento. Por eso seguimos creando y luchando, para ver florecer el barrio de Oakland. (Art gives life to the movement. That is why we keep creating and fighting, to see our Oakland neighborhood flourish),” said Angie Lopez from Eastside Arts Alliance.

Folks can attend Oakland Sin Fronteras' May Day on Friday, May 1 from 2 to 7 p.m. at Fruitvale Plaza, located next to the Fruitvale BART station. A resource fair will open at 2 p.m., followed by the first program at 3 p.m.. The march will take place from 4 to 5 p.m., with a second program running from 5 p.m. until closing around 7 p.m.

#OaklandCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #Labor #MayDay