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On May Day, Protesters Are Expected to Take to the Streets On May Day, Protesters Take to the Streets Nationwide
(about 7 hours later)
President Trump has proclaimed Monday to be “Loyalty Day,” a time for Americans to reaffirm their commitment to “individual liberties, to limited government and to the inherent dignity of every human being” with Pledge of Allegiance ceremonies and a display of American flags.President Trump has proclaimed Monday to be “Loyalty Day,” a time for Americans to reaffirm their commitment to “individual liberties, to limited government and to the inherent dignity of every human being” with Pledge of Allegiance ceremonies and a display of American flags.
Monday, however, is also expected to be a major day of protest for those who oppose the administration and its policies on issues such as women’s rights, worker’s pay, health care and immigration. Monday, however, is also a major day of protest for those who oppose the administration, expanding the annual May Day events — which traditionally highlight labor issues — into a one-day-fits-all schedule of demonstrations for the rights of immigrants, women, workers, and gay men and lesbians.
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to take to the streets of cities that include Los Angeles; Miami; Milwaukee; New York; Raleigh, N.C.; and Scranton, Pa. Corporations including Google and Facebook are giving workers the opportunity to march without fear of retribution. Labor and immigrants’ rights activists have called for a general strike to boycott Mr. Trump’s policies. By morning in Los Angeles, thousands of people had gathered in MacArthur Park in the heavily Latino neighborhood of Westlake. Protesters planned to march about two miles to City Hall, where several elected officials, including Mayor Eric Garcetti, were scheduled to speak. In New York City, a day of demonstrations was set to culminate in an evening rally at Foley Square.
There is a long tradition of protest around the world on May Day, known in most other countries as International Workers’ Day. But the last time any May Day swelled streets across the country with large numbers was in 2006, when more than a million people in hundreds of cities took part in a “Day Without Immigrants” to protest federal legislation that would have made it a felony to live in the country without legal status. Protests were underway in smaller cities, as well, including Homestead, Fla., where immigrant farmworkers were striking for the day; Lawrence, Mass., where some restaurants and other businesses dependent on immigrants were closed; and Grand Rapids, Mich.
Then, the marchers sought immigration overhaul. The demands this time around are more basic: To many would-be marchers, even a return to the status quo before Mr. Trump was elected would feel something like a win. About 300 people had gathered outside a Home Depot north of Minneapolis to protest what they said were the anti-labor practices of some local janitorial companies that clean stores for Home Depot, Sears and other retailers.
“We have no benefits. No vacation. We don’t have anything,” said Antonia Sanchez, a Mexican immigrant in Minneapolis who has worked for one such contractor for nine years, cleaning a Sears store. “It doesn’t matter if we are black, white or brown. What matters is that we stay united and fight for what we deserve.”
In Austin, Tex., some immigrants’ rights advocates staged a sit-in at the office of Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, over the Texas House of Representatives’ passage of legislation that would punish local officials and cities for refusing to help the federal government with deportations. Outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in San Francisco, protesters blocked an intersection and a driveway.
In New York, while protesters in Union Square and Washington Square Park waved signs with slogans in Spanish, like “Workers united will never be defeated,” immigrant enclaves were quieter than usual on Monday.
Damian Rodriguez, the owner of First Class Car and Limo Service in Inwood, said his company had given its 400 drivers the option of staying home, and about 20 percent of them accepted on Monday morning, when local elected officials had encouraged drivers to go on strike. He said he had also tracked the number of calls received during the morning rush hour, and it had fallen by about 20 percent compared with a usual weekday morning.
“We all have family members and acquaintances who are affected, who don’t have their papers and are afraid,” he said. “We do not agree with what’s happening.”
Still, for at least one limousine driver, taking the day off was simply unaffordable. As he bought coffee and a pastry at a Dominican bakery in Washington Heights, Fernando Garcia, 49, explained that because he was a partner in his company, they all had to contribute equally or the business would suffer.
Rent was due on May 1, he added, and peoples’ bank balances dipped.
“I’m going to work today because without work, who’s going to pay the bills?” he said in Spanish, to a murmur of approval from a bakery worker behind the counter.
This year’s May Day protest was also expected to draw thousands of people to the streets of cities including Miami, Milwaukee, Raleigh, N.C., and Scranton, Pa. Corporations including Google and Facebook are giving workers the opportunity to march without fear of retribution. Labor and immigrants’ rights activists have called for a general strike to boycott Mr. Trump’s policies, though by midafternoon on Monday, the number of immigrants sitting out work did not appear to match the levels seen during February’s “Day Without Immigrants.”
There is a long tradition of protest around the world on May Day, known in most other countries as International Workers’ Day. But the last time any May Day swelled streets across the country with large numbers of demonstrators was in 2006, when more than a million people in hundreds of cities took part in a Day Without Immigrants to protest federal legislation that would have made it a felony to live in the country without legal status.
Then, the marchers sought immigration overhaul. The demands this time around are more basic: To many would-be protesters, even a return to the status quo before Mr. Trump was elected would feel something like a win.
“Trump has pitted the U.S. working class against migrant workers and refugees, and so we must strive to create bridges, not bans or walls, to connect our struggles together,” representatives of the International Migrants Alliance wrote in its call to assemble on May 1, describing Mr. Trump as “a brazenly fascist, racist and anti-immigrant president.”“Trump has pitted the U.S. working class against migrant workers and refugees, and so we must strive to create bridges, not bans or walls, to connect our struggles together,” representatives of the International Migrants Alliance wrote in its call to assemble on May 1, describing Mr. Trump as “a brazenly fascist, racist and anti-immigrant president.”
In New York, a day of demonstrations will culminate in an evening rally at Foley Square. In Los Angeles, groups marching for gay rights, immigrants, workers and women will gather at MacArthur Park. Racial justice activists are also expected to turn out across the country.
The administration has called for government buildings to display American flags and for schools to honor the occasion with recitations of the Pledge of Allegiance.The administration has called for government buildings to display American flags and for schools to honor the occasion with recitations of the Pledge of Allegiance.
President Barack Obama also proclaimed May 1 as Loyalty Day, and previous presidents have chosen days other than May 1.President Barack Obama also proclaimed May 1 as Loyalty Day, and previous presidents have chosen days other than May 1.