A protester carries a sign that reads: “Workers united against Musk and Trump” at the May Day demonstration in San Diego, California, May 1, 2025.<\/p>\n
Tens of thousands marched throughout the United States on Thursday, May 1, in a continuation of the protests against Donald Trump\u2019s drive to establish a presidential dictatorship, intensify the assault on the working class, and escalate US-led wars around the globe.<\/p>\n
Many carried homemade signs opposing fascism, oligarchy and the attacks on immigrants and democratic rights.\u00a0<\/p>\n
More than 1,000 rallies were held throughout the US. They followed mass protests held on April 5 and April 19, which saw millions march. Polls show Donald Trump\u2019s support dropping rapidly, with 39 percent approval ratings after barely three months in office.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Protesters in Washington, D.C. call for Trump’s impeachment and removal at the May Day rally, May 1, 2025.<\/p>\n
In Washington D.C., an early protest at 7:30 am blocked rush hour traffic. Later in the morning and afternoon, several thousand marched from a site in Franklin Park to the White House. <\/p>\n
Protesters called for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garc\u00eda, a legal resident and father of three from El Salvador who was kidnapped by the Trump administration and illegally transported to a dangerous prison in his home country in March. The US government has refused court orders that Abrego Garc\u00eda be returned to his family.<\/p>\n
It has been \u201c50 days of pain and suffering\u201d for Abrego Garc\u00eda and his family, stated his wife Jennifer Vasquez Sura as she spoke in front of the White House. Sura declared that her husband had been \u201cthrown away to die in one of the most dangerous prisons in El Salvador with no due process because of an error.\u201d Thousands chanted \u201cfree Kilmar!\u201d and \u201clet him go!\u201d as she spoke.<\/p>\n
In New York City, over 6,000 protested in the evening at Foley Square near City Hall. Several thousand protested in Chicago before marching toward the lakeside.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Workers at the Los Angles May Day rally hold a sign that reads “One struggle, one fight, workers unite!”<\/p>\n
In Los Angeles, at least 6,000 protested downtown. Many waved signs reading \u201cNo Fascist USA,\u201d \u201cWe Will Not Be Silent Against Tyranny,\u201d and \u201cImmigrants Built This Country.\u201d <\/p>\n
Cities which previously went to Trump, such as Mobile, Alabama; Wichita, Kansas; and Tulsa, Oklahoma, all registered protests from the dozens to the hundreds.<\/p>\n World Socialist Web Site reporting teams distributed thousands of leaflets promoting its International May Day event on Saturday \u201cSocialism Against Fascism and War<\/a>\u201d and found strong agreement from a wide audience for its demands for a political break from the Democratic Party and a turn to building a genuine revolutionary international movement of the working class.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the things we\u2019re really trying to elevate today is that workers are immigrants and immigrants are workers. It\u2019s inextricably linked, our struggle,\u201d said a protester in Los Angeles. <\/p>\n \u201cI think that the Abrego Garcia case was really stunning to most people because of the outright abuses against personal freedoms [being carried out,]\u201d another protester said. \u201cEverybody felt like \u2018we\u2019re next\u2019 in a way.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The protester denounced claims that the Democrats were the lesser evil or defenders of immigrants, noting \u201cObama deported more immigrants than the\u2026 presidents before him.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThen you have Biden, another mess, and now you have this fascist who is essentially implementing, intensifying, and bringing to a new level all of the measures that had already been implemented,\u201d they said. Summing up the experience over the past years of social and political reaction, the protester stated \u201cIt\u2019s like enough is enough.\u201d<\/p>\n While the attitude of protesters were generally one of growing militancy and radicalism, the many of the events were organized by the trade unions and other Democratic Party-affiliated organizations, which are seeking to derail<\/a> opposition to Trump.<\/p>\n In Washington D.C., New York City and elsewhere, trade unions and other groups falsely tried to present the Democratic Party as a defender of the working class, offering the stage and microphone to representatives of this big business party of imperialism and war.<\/p>\n The largest event was in Philadelphia, as Senator Bernie Sanders hosted a \u201cFighting Oligarchy\u201d rally in the city, bringing in tens of thousands in front of City Hall before marches commenced.<\/p>\n The hypocrisy meter hit its peak when Senator Sanders\u2014who has praised Trump\u2019s trade war, had pro-Palestine protesters thrown out at his events<\/a>, and solidarized himself with Trump\u2019s anti-immigration policies at the US border\u2014declared that \u201cMay Day is, in a sense, a sacred holiday.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOver the last 50 years, the very richest people in this country have become much richer, while 800,000 people today sleep out on the street and the average worker struggles,\u201d he declared. Sanders did not mention that it was the Biden administration, whom he had campaigned for and praised, which allowed billionaire wealth to increase by over a trillion dollars in 2024<\/a>. This happened while homelessness doubled<\/a> during his administration.<\/p>\n Several hundred people joined a demonstration in Detroit<\/strong> called by the May Day Coalition, including groups such as Moratorium Now, 50501 and others.\u00a0<\/p>\n Frank Hammer, former president of UAW Local 909 at GM\u2019s now-closed Warren Transmission Plant, addressed the demonstration, praising UAW President Shawn Fain, an avid promoter of Donald Trump\u2019s trade war agenda, which has already led to layoffs of thousands at automakers and other manufacturers.<\/p>\n Despite the politically bankrupt outlook of the formal organizers, many attendees expressed frustration with the lack of perspective and program, and stopped to talk to supporters of the Socialist Equality Party, register for the SEP 2025 online May Day rally<\/a>, and to purchase socialist literature from Mehring Books.\u00a0<\/p>\n A retired nurse said, \u201cTrump is doing what he said he would do. Our fears were not overblown.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can\u2019t just sit here and be anxiety-ridden and do nothing. I told my former coworkers that I was coming to this today and told them to join me. I had actually wanted to go to the protest against Trump\u2019s visit the other night, but my family was worried that it could get violent with the MAGA crowd so I sat that one out,\u201d she said. \u201cThe fact that more people came to protest than to actually hear him speak is so important\u2014none of that was even really reported in the media.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n A young administrative worker also attended the demonstration by herself and described her disillusionment with the Democratic Party paving the way for a Trump victory. \u201cHarris was actively trying to convince people on the right to vote for her. I don\u2019t think that is even the main reason she lost, but that caused a rift with a lot of people on the left who could barely stomach voting for her to prevent a Trump presidency.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we cannot accept the things that are happening at the top,\u201d she added. \u201cWe cannot accept the violence and the divisive rhetoric. We outnumber everybody in Washington. We outnumber all of the corporate CEOs, all the people who want nothing more than our money. It\u2019s up to us.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
A section of the May Day rally in Los Angeles, California, May 1, 2025.<\/p>\n
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Crowd at Detroit May Day protest<\/p>\n
Retired nurse at Detroit May Day demonstration who wanted to remain anonymous.<\/p>\n