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.
A coalition of labor and community groups is pivoting from a weekend of mostly peaceful No Kings demonstrations to a coordinated nationwide day of action on May 1.The "No Kings" protests, led by the 50501 Movement and other labor coalitions, are organizing a "Workers Over Billionaires" day of action on May 1 at MacArthur Park.
This follows a high-tension rally on Saturday at Gloria Molina Grand Park that resulted in 74 arrests—including eight juveniles—after a citywide tactical alert was declared. While that event began peacefully, it escalated near the federal detention center at Alameda and Temple streets, where the Los Angeles Police Department reports that some individuals threw chunks of concrete at federal officers.In some countries, it’s a public holiday honoring labor, but activists planning marches in the U.S. say much of their message is about fighting back against President Donald Trump’s policies targeting immigrants, federal workers and diversity programs.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.PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Thousands rally for May Day demonstrations in Los AngelesIn 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."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. "We've protested for over a year, and now we must show this administration that We the People will no longer continue business as usual," said Sarah Parker, executive director of Voices of Florida.Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights , emphasized the focus on immigration, stating, "We are going to continue to fight for freedom... the freedom to work and have a decent wage without being persecuted by ICE or Border Patrol."Organizers are calling for marches, rallies, and potential labor walkouts across the country. In Los Angeles, the focus remains on MacArthur Park, a site with a fraught history of federal deployment.Local authorities have not yet commented on their deployment strategy for May 1, but the "May Day Strong" coalition is actively recruiting participants online.Those seeking more information on the planned routes, walkout instructions, or legal support for the upcoming demonstrations can visit the official organizing website at maydaystrong.org.
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