May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii and International Workers Day all over the world. May Day (from the French m’aidez) is also the universal signal of distress. Yesterday, May Day was a day for protest marches against the Trump Administration, and perhaps also a sign of distress.
I joined a Hands Off! march in my city, along with several thousand others. Because of the heat and my physical condition, I was not able to complete the entire route. Nevertheless, it was an exhilarating experience. People were inspired by several issues; indeed, it would have been impossible to have a unifying issue since Trump is constantly opening new fronts.
There were people holding signs in support of workers’ rights, better wages, better hours and better and safer working conditions. They also decried budget cuts, pay inequality and demanded higher taxes on billionaires.
There were protests against Trump’s attack on American universities; his insistence on controlling admissions, faculty hires, curriculum, student loans and research funding.
There were many protestors holding signs opposing police-state seizures of people and their deportation. There were signs about due process and many about protecting democracy.
There were signs against oligarchs, billionaires and kleptocrats and signs proclaiming Tax the Rich!
There were signs opposing book bans and demanding more support for the schools.
There were signs opposing Trump’s foreign policy: his support for Netanyahu’s regime his lack of support for Ukraine, and his antagonizing our (now former) allies.
There were signs demanding the reinstatement of DEI protections in public life, in the military and in schools and universities.
There were signs demanding the restoration of women’s rights, whether it involved the right to make health decisions or about equal pay and equality of civil rights.
One sign containing a multitude of issues summed it all up: “This sign isn’t big enough to cover all the issues.”
I hope you participated in one of the marches. There are more coming.