On May Day holiday, thousands expected to protest Trump immigration policies
Associated Press
CHICAGO
Tens of thousands of immigrants and their supporters in U.S. cities are set to protest Monday against immigration policies to mark May Day. It is an event that will also generate heated protests around the world as unions push for better rights for workers.
The roots of May Day, or International Workers Day, stretch back over a century.
The origins of May Day go back to a turbulent and pivotal time in U.S. labor history.
In the 1880s, unions pushing for better workplace conditions began advocating for an eight-hour workday with demonstrations and strikes nationwide. Some of the largest crowds gathered in Chicago. In May 1886, a labor rally in the city turned deadly when a bomb was thrown and police opened retaliatory fire. Several labor activists, most of them immigrants, were convicted of conspiracy to incite violence among other charges in closely watched legal proceedings. Four were hanged.
Unions later recommended that May 1 be designated to honor the workers who were charged. Chicago commemorated the site at Haymarket Square with a sculpture.
In some countries, May Day is a public holiday. Elsewhere, it’s used to commemorate workers or protest for their rights.
Demonstrations, rallies and riots have taken place globally from Cleveland to London.