By Gwen R.
Building on the tremendous energy of the April 5 and April 19 actions, organizers around the country are planning the next national day of action on May Day. Indivisible East Bay is joining our friends at Oakland Sin Fronteras, who are hosting a rally, march, and resource fair at Fruitvale Plaza in Oakland from 3:00 to 7:00 PM on May 1. Stand up and be counted with thousands of others — in solidarity for workers’ rights, immigrant justice, and community power!
The significance of May Day for this national day of action cannot be overstated. Also known as International Workers’ Day, May Day is dedicated to uplifting working peoples’ struggles around the world against oppression and exploitation. It has been observed since 1889, when the International Socialist Conference declared May Day a labor holiday in commemoration of the brutal repression of Chicago workers striking for an eight-hour workday in May 1886. In spite of its American origins, the holiday is barely observed in the United States today because of elite resistance to any expression of worldwide working-class solidarity. Yet workers’ voices are growing ever louder as the Trump regime accelerates the massive transfer of wealth from the working to the billionaire class.
It’s also deeply meaningful that this May Day action will take place in the Fruitvale District, a neighborhood with a powerful legacy of resistance. Fruitvale has long been a heart of working-class, immigrant, and Black and Brown organizing — from the Chicano Revolutionary Party and Black Panther Party activism in the late 1960s and ‘70s to the vigils that continue today to mark the murder of Oscar Grant by BART police in 2009.
Between the significance of the date and place and the urgency of the moment to stand up in solidarity, Thursday’s May Day events are not to be missed. Let’s get out there and show the world that our movements are growing, interconnected, and fighting back!
