Thousands in US rally against Trump

Associated Press

NEW YORK

Thousands of people from New England to the Midwest to the West Coast chanted, picketed and protested Monday as demonstrations raged against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies along with the traditional May Day marching in favor of labor.

Protesters flooded streets in Chicago. They demanded “Donald Trump has got to go!” at the White House gates. And they sparked at least four arrests after creating a human chain to block a county building in Oakland, Calif., where demonstrators demanded that county law enforcement refuse to collaborate with federal immigration agents.

In Portland, Ore., some marchers began throwing things including smoke bombs at police, prompting them to pull the permit and cancel the march.

Despite the West Coast clashes, most nationwide protests were peaceful as immigrants, union members and their allies staged a series of strikes, boycotts and marches to highlight the contributions of immigrants in the U.S.

“It is sad to see that now being an immigrant is equivalent to almost being a criminal,” said Mary Quezada, a 58-year-old North Carolina woman who joined those marching on Washington.

She offered a pointed message to Trump: “Stop bullying immigrants.”

The demonstrations on May Day, celebrated as International Workers’ Day, follow similar actions worldwide in which protesters from the Philippines to Paris demanded better working conditions.