Thousands join May Day economic blackout in largest US labor action in years

Key facts

• Over 3,500 'May Day Strong' events were held across the US on May 1.
• In Manhattan, Sunrise Movement protesters chained themselves to the New York Stock Exchange; about 100 were arrested.
• Los Angeles rally began at MacArthur Park, with a march to Grand Park covering roughly three miles.
• San Francisco city officials were arrested during a protest at SFO in support of airport workers.
• In Minneapolis, six Sunrise protesters were arrested for blocking a bridge.
• Healthcare workers in Chicago marched on an Amazon warehouse carrying a giant sign of Jeff Bezos's head.
• Protesters in Memphis blocked the entrance to Elon Musk's xAI datacenter by lying in the streets.
• May Day commemorates the 1886 Haymarket Affair, a Chicago protest for an eight-hour workday that turned violent.

A nationwide economic shutdown

Thousands of workers, union members and activists flooded downtown Los Angeles on Friday for May Day, heeding organizers' call for an 'economic blackout' — no school, no work, no shopping. The main rally began at 10 a.m. at MacArthur Park, followed by a speaking program and a march to Grand Park. Organizers said the event was part of International Workers' Day, with similar actions planned across California demanding expanded worker protections and immigration reforms. Francisco Moreno, executive director of the Council of Mexican Federations in North America, told a news conference this week: 'Our vision includes an economy that works for everyone with a living wage, strong labor protections and programs that keep families housed, fed, educated and healthy.' The Los Angeles event carried the theme 'solo el pueblo shuts it down: no school, no work, no shopping,' reflecting calls for an economic boycott modeled after earlier protests this year.

Arrests and civil disobedience from coast to coast

In Manhattan, protesters from the youth-led Sunrise Movement chained themselves to the front of the New York Stock Exchange while others blocked exits. About 100 protesters were arrested and removed after roughly an hour; a small crowd remained, playing music and chanting 'Tax the rich!' In Portland, Sunrise protesters occupied a Hilton hotel lobby where Department of Homeland Security officials were allegedly staying. In Minneapolis, six Sunrise protesters were arrested for blocking a bridge. Several San Francisco city officials were arrested during a protest at San Francisco International Airport in support of airport workers' union picketing over wages and ICE's presence in airports. The May Day Strong coalition includes labor unions, immigrants rights groups, political organizations such as the Democratic Socialists of America, and the organizers behind the No Kings protests.

Workers and students lead the charge

Earlier Friday morning, a group of Amazon workers, Teamsters and local politicians marched from the New York Public Library's main branch to Amazon's nearby corporate offices, demanding the corporation cut its contracts with ICE and the DHS. In Washington, D.C., protesters with Free DC shut down intersections, holding handmade banners reading 'Workers over billionaires' and 'Healthcare not warfare.' Healthcare workers with SEIU in Chicago marched on an Amazon warehouse, carrying a giant sign of owner Jeff Bezos's head. In Memphis, Tennessee, a group of protesters blocked the entrance to Elon Musk's xAI datacenter by lying in the streets. Teachers and students also mobilized: in Portland, several hundred attended a teachers' union rally; high-schoolers in Kansas City walked out to join the Missouri Workers Center and the Sunrise Movement; and thousands of teachers and protesters marched through downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, in what local outlet the News & may be 'one of the biggest labor actions in the state's history.'

A coordinated escalation from January's protests

Friday's economic disruption builds on a similar coordinated effort out of Minnesota in January, when tens of thousands of Twin Cities residents took off from school and work to flood the streets in protest of federal immigration agents storming the city. Leah Greenberg of Indivisible, one of the main organizations behind No Kings, described the May Day economic blackout as a 'structure test' for the movement. 'We are asking people to take a step into further exerting their power in all aspects of their lives – as workers, as students, as members of local organizing hubs,' she said. 'It's important as it builds muscles towards greater non-cooperation.' Photos and footage of crowds filling streets in Los Angeles, Washington DC, Madison, Wisconsin, and Raleigh, North Carolina, spread on social media, along with protests in towns from the Village of Oak Creek, Arizona, to Kalamazoo, Michigan, and Frederick, Maryland.

Historical roots and contemporary demands

May Day, also known as International Workers' Day, commemorates the 1886 Haymarket Affair, when a Chicago protest for an eight-hour workday turned into a violent clash between demonstrators and police. This year, many active movements converged to demand no ICE and no war, and taxing the rich. Participants in Los Angeles included janitors, security officers, airport workers and stadium employees affiliated with SEIU-United Service Workers West, along with a broader coalition of labor unions, civil rights organizations, immigrant advocacy groups and faith leaders. Speakers at the Los Angeles rally included SEIU-USWW President David Huerta and workers who addressed wages, working conditions and the impact of corporate policies on low-income communities. Organizers said the demonstrations also push for a pathway to citizenship, increased funding for education and health care, and an end to additional funding for federal immigration agencies. The choice of MacArthur Park as a starting point was intentional, pointing to the neighborhood's role as a hub for day laborers and street vendors, as well as recent immigration enforcement activity in the area.

Outlook: building muscle for greater non-cooperation

The scale of Friday's actions — with over 3,500 events nationwide — signals a growing willingness among labor, immigrant rights and climate activists to use economic disruption as a tactic. Organizers described the blackout as a 'structure test,' gauging the movement's ability to mobilize supporters to withhold their labor and spending. The involvement of teachers, students and municipal officials suggests the protests have broadened beyond traditional labor circles. As the day progressed, protests and marches — full of union workers, mariachi bands, students, teachers, politicians and more — commenced from the Midwest to the West Coast. The question now is whether this coordinated action will translate into sustained pressure on corporations and policymakers, or remain a one-day show of force. For organizers, the answer lies in the muscles built on May Day.

The bottom line

• Over 3,500 May Day events occurred across the US, with tens of thousands participating in an economic blackout.
• Arrests took place in New York, Portland, Minneapolis, San Francisco and other cities during acts of civil disobedience.
• The coalition spanned labor unions, immigrant rights groups, the Sunrise Movement, the Democratic Socialists of America and the No Kings organizers.
• Key demands included cutting corporate contracts with ICE and DHS, taxing the rich, and redirecting funds to education and healthcare.
• The action built on a January protest in Minnesota, where tens of thousands protested federal immigration enforcement.
• Organizers view the blackout as a 'structure test' to build capacity for future non-cooperation campaigns.