From worker rights rallies to marches for social justice, activists around the globe will kick off May Day demonstrations on Thursday. In some countries, it’s a public holiday honoring labor, but activists planning marches in the United States say much of their message is about fighting back against President Donald Trump’s policies targeting immigrants, federal workers and diversity programs. Thousands are expected at demonstrations from Tokyo to Chicago. In some parts of the U.S., though, fear sowed by the Trump administration is expected to keep some immigrants home. “Everybody is under attack right now,” said Jorge Mujica, a longtime labor leader from Chicago, where May Day rallies historically have had a large turnout. May Day’s beginnings The roots of May Day, or International Workers Day, stretch back over a century to a turbulent and pivotal time in U.S. labor history. In the 1880s, unions pushing for better workplace conditions began advocating for an eight-hour workday with widespread demonstrations and strikes. In May 1886, a Chicago labor rally turned deadly when a bomb was thrown and police retaliated with gunfire. Several labor activists, most of them immigrants, were convicted of conspiracy to incite violence among other charges. Four were hanged. Unions later recommended that the workers be honored every May 1. A sculpture in Chicago’s Haymarket Square commemorates them with an inscription that reads: “Dedicated to all workers of the world.” Rallies and riots May Day marches, rallies and riots have taken place worldwide in recent years as unions push for better rights for workers, groups air economic grievances or activists call for an end to the war in Gaza. While most demonstrations have been peaceful, there have been clashes with police. Last year, police in Paris fired tear gas as thousands of protesters marched through the French capital, seeking better pay and working conditions. In New York City, May Day demonstrations coincided with rising tensions at college campuses over pro-Palestinian student encampments, resulting in numerous arrests. This year, organizers in numerous cities, including New York, are calling for unity across many causes and groups. “We’re organizing for a world where every family has housing, health care, fair wages, union protection, and safety — regardless of race, immigration status, or zip code,” the American Civil Liberty Union of New York said in a statement. Other notable U.S. demonstrations include a workers rally at Philadelphia City Hall with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and demonstrations at the Colorado State Capitol and in Los Angeles, Seattle and Washington, D.C. Immigration marches While labor and immigrant rights are historically intertwined, the focus of May Day rallies in the U.S. shifted to immigration in 2006. That’s when roughly 1 million people, including nearly half a million in Chicago alone, took to the streets to protest federal legislation that would’ve made living in the U.S. without legal permission a felony. Crowds for May 1 demonstrations have since dwindled with advocacy groups splintering and shifting activism arenas such as voters rights. This year in Chicago, organizers say activism starting Thursday will last until Cinco de Mayo with boycotts and walkouts. Their focus is workers’ rights but also rising anti-immigrant rhetoric from Trump’s administration. Organizers acknowledge a chilling effect on immigrant communities since Trump has cracked down on enforcement, especially in so-called sanctuary cities including Chicago. They’re expecting lower numbers of immigrants but are expanding their outreach to more unions, including for teachers and nurses. “There’s a lot fear out there,” […]