Hundreds of ‘Workers Over Billionaires’ Labour Day rallies took place across the United States on Monday, drawing thousands of protesters who denounced the Trump administration’s policies and called for the protection of social safety nets. The demonstrations, organised by a coalition of labour unions including the AFL-CIO and May Day Strong, were held in major cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, and Washington DC, as well as smaller cities like Cleveland and Greensboro.
In Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson sharply criticised the Trump administration’s threat to deploy federal troops to the city as part of an immigration crackdown. “No federal troops in the city of Chicago,” Johnson told a crowd in the West Loop neighbourhood. “We’re going to defend our democracy … we’re going to protect the humanity of every single person in the city of Chicago.” Protesters also gathered outside Trump Tower in River North, carrying anti-Trump posters and chanting “Lock him up”.
In New York, hundreds assembled across from Trump Tower in Midtown, while separate protests were held across the state, including in Albany where Senator Kirsten Gillibrand appeared. “It’s Labour Day [and] we want to celebrate working men and people in this community,” Gillibrand said. “New York state, the middle class was built on the labour movement and it’s time to recognise how important working people are to this community, to our country, to our great state.”
Nearly 1,000 residents in Washington DC joined a protest against the Trump administration’s federal takeover of the city, participating in a “Freedom Run” while chanting. Participants expressed concern over the deployment of National Guard members and the firing of federal employees. “Firing folks left and right, some of the damage that’s being done is going to be irreparable whenever things come back,” said participant Janice Ferebee.
In the Bay Area, residents formed a 17-mile human chain from Redwood City to Santa Clara as part of the day’s protests. Meanwhile, workers at the Hilton Americas-Houston walked off the job in a nine-day strike, demanding a higher minimum wage of $23 per hour, up from $16.50. The strike, the first in the union’s 25-year history, is set to end on 10 September.
