Activists are planning more nationwide protests across the U.S. to demonstrate against President Donald Trump and his administration’s policies.
A “national day of action” is being organized for May Day—Thursday, May 1—and the weekends surrounding it, with a string of events slated to be held across the country. Nonviolence is a “core principle” behind the action, the group’s website says, adding that participants will be expected “to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.”
Newsweek has reached out by email to the May Day organizers, seeking further information and comment, and has also emailed the White House requesting a statement.
Why It Matters
The planned protests come as American politics remain strained and the U.S. economy is in turmoil amid cost-of-living concerns and Trump’s tariff policies. Polling has shown a drop among Americans on their view of Trump and the economy.
The administration has also drawn the ire of critics opposed to his migrant deportations and the wide-ranging cuts across federal agencies instigated by Elon Musk at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The protests represent the loud pushback the administration is facing after sweeping into office in November. As strife continues over the economy and other policies, there could be political ramifications for the White House and Republicans heading into the 2026 midterm elections.
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What To Know
Trump’s second White House term has sparked a wave of protests, with millions of demonstrators hitting the streets nationwide last weekend under the “50501” banner, signifying 50 protests in 50 states for one cause.
Little information has been given about the organizers of the May Day protests on the group’s website.
The planners explicitly confirm their “commitment to nonviolence in all we do.” They go on to add: “This is a war on working people—and we will not stand down. They’re defunding our schools, privatizing public services, attacking unions, and targeting immigrant families with fear and violence. Working people built this nation and we know how to take care of each other. We won’t back down—we will never stop fighting for our families and the rights and freedoms that propel opportunity and a better life for all Americans. Their time is up.”
The group urges supporters to join May Day events near them, set up their own demonstrations, or sign a solidarity pledge, which it says is “supported by a large number of national immigrant rights and civil rights organizations.”
A map on the group’s website allows supporters to search for their nearest events, and shows a diverse range of actions have been planned at the local level.
For example, one evening event on May Day itself in Iowa City is called “Gran Marcha Aqui Estamos,” which will be a march in support of immigrant workers. While a rally to “stop the billionaire takeover” is due to be held that same evening in New Orleans, and a “silent march” will make its way through the Hawaii State Capitol in Honolulu from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. to protest against the government’s “escalated attacks on unions and workers’ rights.”
While most of the events are due to take place on May Day itself, others will be held on the preceding or following weekend. For example, a May Day event is set to be held in Dallas on Sunday, April 27, with a rally and a march to “stand up for federal workers and immigrant rights.” While another May Day event is due to take place on Saturday, May 3, in Palm Springs, California.
May 1 has represented a significant date for a number of groups, with pagan and spring festivals marking the date, although it later became associated with employees’ rights, even becoming known as International Workers’ Day, after a strike and bombing known as the Haymarket Affair in Chicago on May 1, 1886.
What People Are Saying
Organizers of the May Day “national day of action” say on their website: “Trump and his billionaire profiteers are trying to create a race to the bottom—on wages, on benefits, on dignity itself. This May Day we are fighting back. We are demanding a country that puts our families over their fortunes—public schools over private profits, healthcare over hedge funds, prosperity over free market politics.”
What Happens Next
May Day organizers are due to host a “mass call” on communication platform Zoom on Wednesday, April 23, to further lay out their activities. As with all such protests, local police and city authorities will be planning their own response to monitor the situation.
