Tacoma celebrates biggest May Day in city’s history

Tacoma WA – Around 1000 people took to the streets of Tacoma on May 1, to rally for immigrants and workers’ rights. The crowd gathered around 4 p.m. and began chanting with messages such as “Stand up and shut it down, Tacoma is a union town!” and “Power to the people! No one is illegal!” Energy was high, and the mood of the event was angry but also celebratory.

After a round of chants, the event’s emcee, Xanat Romo, stated, “We’re here today to celebrate the wins of the workers’ and immigrants’ rights movement, highlight our current struggles, and set our sights on the fight ahead!” Romo is a member of the Pierce County Immigration Alliance.

Before the speeches began, Puyallup Water Warrior Dakota Case greeted the crowd with a land welcome and song. Case highlighted the hypocrisy of an administration deporting people on stolen land. The Tacoma Northwest Detention Center (NWDC), where the crowd would be marching to shortly, was built on the original land allotment given to Case’s family over 100 years ago.

The first speaker of the event was Samuel Keiser, a shop steward with UFCW 3000 and member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization. Keiser opened with a brief history on the origins of May Day, and its rejuvenation during the 2006 mega marches. “Immigrants re-ignited the militant spirit of May Day and cemented the holiday as a time to fight,” said Keiser. “Today, the Trump administration is carrying out a campaign of terror against immigrants! The depravity of ICE is truly unmatched: detention camps, family separations, and mass deportations are the norm.”

The next speaker was Mylo Lang, an apprentice in the International Association of Machinists. Lang spoke about his experience on strike at Boeing last year: “Being part of a strike is unlike any other experience in modern society; a new set of motivations drives you.”

Last September workers at Boeing went on strike after 95% of the workforce voted to reject a contract recommended by both the company and the union. “We stand here today in truly historic times,” said Lang. “We can see all around us that the will for change exists in our community. We are proving to ourselves today that the whole working class of our city can stand together, from organized labor, to un-unionized workers, to immigrants, women, all creeds and colors alike, the whole working class in Tacoma can struggle together.”

The program continued with more speeches from the International Migrants Alliance, bargaining updates from the Tacoma Educators Association and UFCW 367, and a speech from Donna Cristobal. Cristobal is the niece of SIEU member Lewelyn Dixon who was detained by ICE and locked up in the NWDC earlier this year.

“For Aunty Lynn and for all those unjustly detained, I stand with you,” said Cristobal. “We must commit to creating policies that protect workers rights, provide better working conditions and provide equal opportunities for all regardless of their immigration status.”

After speeches and songs, including a Filipino kultural from Tanggol Migrante and a rendition of Solidarity Forever from the Tacoma IWW, the crowd took to the streets and marched over a mile and a half to the NWDC.

As the crowd marched through downtown and across the 11th Street bridge, chants rang through the streets, including: “When immigrant rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” and “Shut it down! Shut it tight! Workers of the world unite!”

“It’s inspiring to see so many people coming out and standing in solidarity under unified demands,” said Talison Crosby, a rank-and-file member of Teamsters Local 174. “Trade unionists, immigrant rights activists, leftist groups, indigenous organizations, and other community members are all out here with one message, stand up for workers and immigrants’ rights.”

After arriving at the NWDC, the crowd was greeted with chants of “Free them all!” from members of La Resistencia. More speeches from Pierce County Immigration Alliance, Tanggol Migrante, and Climate Alliance of the South Sound concluded the program before people were shuttled back to their cars on the other side of the bridge.

Connor Board with King 5 news reported “This is the biggest May Day in Tacoma’s history.”

“Trump and his cronies want us to believe that this is the best we can do, but we know better,” said Sameul Keiser. “The future we’re fighting for is a brighter one, where the needs of the many come before the greed of the few. The only way out is to organize!”

#TacomaWA #WA #ImmigrantRights #Labor #MayDay

Source: https://fightbacknews.org/tacoma-celebrates-biggest-may-day-in-citys-history?pk_campaign=rss-feed