Thousands take to the streets of Seattle for May Day

Seattle, WA – On May 1, over 2000 gathered at Cal Anderson Park in Seattle to celebrate International Workers Day, or May Day. Community organizations, labor unions and local community members marched through the streets demanding an end to Trump’s attacks on immigrant and workers’ rights and rallied for a fighting labor movement.

This May Day came as the Trump administration issued executive orders to increase the policing capabilities of ICE to attack immigrant communities, mandate pro-bono legal support to killer cops, and further militarize the police across the country. Furthermore, it came with the context of beloved labor and immigrant organizer Alfredo “Lelo” Juarez Zeferino as well as local union member Lewelyn Dixon being held in the private Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma after their unjust detainment by ICE.

SEIU 6 President Zenia Javalera addressed the crowd: “The Trump regime is drawing lines to divide us up. He’s creating a division between who is inside and is safe, and who is outside and is not safe. Every week more of us are finding out that we are outside.” She continued, “But the thing about it is, the more of us he pushes out, the more of us will find each other out here outside together.”

Seattle workers also took to the streets to fight back against Trump’s attacks, particularly government workers. Trump’s cuts to federal agencies have come down to Washington state workers, who have faced layoffs and furloughs.

UAW Local 4121 member Mathieu Chabaud said, “Our members are under attack – Trump is revoking their visas and cutting funding, which means we’re now facing layoffs. The only way we’re going to win is by having a fighting labor movement, and being out here in the streets today shows we have teeth.”

Before the start of the May Day rally, the American Federation of Teachers Local 1789 at Seattle Central College, which is close to Cal Anderson Park, began their walkout with much support from community members and students. This was just one of many unions which organized to take the day off of work in mutual solidarity and recognition of the historic significance of May Day. Notably, Seattle’s MLK Labor Council was one of the most prominent members of the event organizing committee, with endorsement and attendance by the Service Employees International Union, Seattle Starbucks United, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union 3000, Unite Here Local 8, and UAW Local 4121.

The event wasn’t just a march of solidarity; it was a gathering place where the people found out how to get involved. During the community fair before the march, energized community members were able to meet with organizations doing work and building the local people’s movements

The over 2000-strong demonstration marched nearly three hours throughout the streets in the sunny spring weather from the Capitol Hill neighborhood to the outside of the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building, the site of many recent rallies and protests. A motor brigade and over 100 event organizers directed traffic, kept the path of the march clear, and distributed water and food.

The outstanding turnout, many times greater than previous years, reflected the growing strength and level of organization of the people’s movements in Seattle.

Workers and oppressed people are unifying and to take the power they deserve, and the people made their stance clear while marching, chanting, “Get up! Get sown! There’s a workers’ movement in this town!”

#SeattleWA #WA #Labor #ImmigrantRights #MayDay