From New York to Los Angeles and Anchorage to Atlanta, tens of thousands of people filled streets and public squares across the United States on Thursday in a nationwide May Day mobilization demanding justice for workers and immigrant communities. The coordinated effort spanned nearly 1,000 cities and towns, and was aimed squarely at what organizers described as "relentless attacks" by the Trump administration on labor protections, public services, and immigrant rights.

Recognized globally as International Workers’ Day, May 1st carries a long tradition of labor struggle. This year, that spirit returned to American streets in force, building on the momentum of large-scale protests earlier in April. Organizers said the May Day turnout, while slightly reduced due to the weekday timing, still drew significant crowds, echoing a growing public frustration with what many see as regressive federal policies.

“This is a war on working people – and we will not stand down,” read a statement on the May Day national action website. “They are defunding our schools, privatizing services, attacking unions, and deporting our neighbors.” Organizers framed the rallies as not only a show of unity, but a resistance movement against what they called a system rigged for the wealthy few at the expense of everyday Americans.

Cities like Chicago, Seattle, Miami, and San Francisco saw multiple events throughout the day, from morning marches to evening vigils. In Los Angeles, a coalition of workers’ rights groups began their protest before dawn. In New York, demonstrators packed Union Square with handmade signs and calls for justice.

Among those marching in Manhattan was Saidi Moseley, 25, an education coordinator helping to organize the Union Square rally. “The administration is threatening every right we’ve fought for,” Moseley said. “People are waking up, and they’re not staying silent.”

Betsy Waters, a 67-year-old retiree, carried a sign reading “Due Process for All.” She told WafricNews she’s attended multiple protests in the past year. “I won’t sit back while this administration tramples on justice,” she said. Nearby, Lydia Howrilka, a librarian from Queens, held a sign that read “Only You Can Stop Fascism.” For her, it was about standing in solidarity with immigrant neighbors and defending democratic values.

Grant Miner, a leader with the Student Workers of Columbia union and a speaker at the New York rally, highlighted issues of academic repression after being expelled from Columbia University for participating in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. “Cuts to education and the targeting of student protestors are part of the same assault on our rights,” he said.

In Washington D.C., nearly 3,000 demonstrators gathered outside the Capitol demanding better job safety, fair pay, and a stop to unjust deportations. Cathryn Jackson from CASA, a nonprofit supporting immigrant families, highlighted the case of Kilmar Ábrego García, an immigrant detained in El Salvador despite ongoing legal efforts to secure his release. His wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, addressed the crowd in an emotional appeal for justice.

“This rally is not just about policy,” Jackson said. “It’s about the lives of people being torn apart.”

Also speaking in D.C. was María del Carmen Castellón, widow of Miguel Luna, one of six immigrant construction workers killed in the 2024 Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore. “These were men rebuilding this country’s infrastructure at night while the rest of us slept,” Jackson said. “And look how they were treated.”

Representative Delia Ramirez of Illinois, a daughter of Guatemalan immigrants, addressed the Franklin Park rally with a powerful message: “We are united today because we know this president seeks to divide us. But we will not be silenced.”

Ramirez warned that the threat of fascism loomed unless people continue organizing. “There will be hard days ahead, but your organizing gives me strength to fight on your behalf in Congress.”

Jorge Mújica, a longtime labor activist with Arise Chicago, spoke on Democracy Now, stressing that the Trump administration’s wide-reaching crackdowns have created unexpected solidarity among workers, students, and marginalized groups. “They attacked everyone at once, and now they’ve brought us all together,” he said.

As the Trump administration surpasses its 100-day mark, its aggressive stance on labor and immigration has sparked a resistance movement that only seems to be intensifying. With approval ratings sliding and opposition growing louder, organizers say May Day 2025 is just the beginning.

“Immigrants are workers, and workers are immigrants,” declared a rally banner in Chicago. “Our struggles are one and the same – and we will not be divided.”



By WafricNews Politics Desk