On May first, Socialist Alternative handed out thousands of statements in English and Spanish while selling hundreds of copies of Justice newspaper. See some of the reports below.
Milwaukee, WI
On May first in Milwaukee, 100,000 people rallied for immigrant rights, workers rights and against Governer Walker’s attacks. Milwaukee has had some of the largest Immigrants rights rallies in the country over the past years, but this year’s rally was especially colossal due to the recent attacks on unions, workers living standards and rights to organize.
While the protest was mainly organized by Voces de la Frontera, speakers included representatives from the NAACP, the LGBT rights group Equality Wisconsin, and AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka.
Participants marched 2.5 miles from the Latino South Side to the lakefront. Most of the signs were against Governor Walker, but there were also signs critical of Obama for not following through on his promises.
The large, vibrant Mayday rally showed that the movement in Wisconsin is far from dead.
Nashua, NH
Around 100 people showed up to the Nashua May Day rally. The American Friends Service Committee cosponsored the event with the New Hampshire Alliance of Immigrants and Refugees (NHAIR), which works to build the power of low-income immigrants of color regardless of immigration status, according to NHAIRs Web site and the Granite State Organizing Project.
Nashua has the states highest percentage of immigrants, with significant increases over the last decade in the Asian, Latino and African communities.
Nearly 10 percent of Nashua residents are Latino, according to the 2010 census up from 6 percent in 2000 although not all of those residents are immigrants.
The Socialist Alternative May Day statement was once again the ONLY bi-lingual literature there, and I handed one to everyone I could. I ran out! People were asking for more.
I was interviewed by the Nashua Telegraph and New Hampshire public radio.
The whole time I was holding the Committee for a Workers International flag on a huge pole. Great day!
Boston, MA
Over a hundred people rallied at Haymarket Square to commemorate the Haymarket martyrs of 1886 in Chicago. This rally was organized by the Boston May Day Committee, a group that Socialist Alternative helped to establish during the immigrant worker uprising of spring 2006.
After this short rally, we took the street in a march to link up with other contingents converging at the Central rally in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Led by a marching band playing the Internationale, Solidarity Forever, Bandiera Rosa, Iron Man (Black Sabbath) and many other working class songs, we met up with dozens of other celebrants at Maverick Square in East Boston. We marched on to Central Square a few blocks down to meet hundreds more. All this marching culminated in a mass rally of over a thousand people in Chelsea. Feeder marches had been coming from all angles in Greater Boston.
Great weather and a resurgent working class helped make an excellent May Day.
Skagit County, WA
In a county with just over 100,000 residents, over 600 people marched on May Day! We handed out over 200 of the Socialist Alternative May Day statement.
The march was very energetic, with a lot of chanting, mostly in Spanish, about workers rights, struggle, etc. Some of the chants were “Si se puede” (Yes we can) and “Obama, escucha, estamos en la lucha” (Listen Obama, we’re in a struggle).
The Teamsters local was right behind us, and people were driving by honking, waving, and holding red or Mexican flags the entire time. There was no negative response from the traffic we were impeding.
New York, NY
May Day in New York City this year (like last year) took place in two different locations. The first, started at 12pm in Union Square. We marched in order to unite with the second rally that took place in Foley Square (City hall area) at 1pm.
There were two Socialist Alternative tables when we met up at Foley Square, and we used the rallies as an opportunity to build for a May 12 march on Wall Street.
The second rally was more mainstream with politicians and union leaders speaking. Our new buttons were a big hit, especially the one that says Tax the Rich!