(The Hill) — Thousands of protestors are expected to gather nationwide on Thursday to push back against the Trump administration’s policies, just days after President Donald Trump marked 100 days back in the White House.
Those planning to participate in the rallies have argued that Trump’s actions have harmed America’s working class, citing mass layoffs within the federal workforce and spending reductions under the Department of Government Efficiency and its chief adviser, tech billionaire Elon Musk.
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The 50501 organization, which was responsible for several other nationwide demonstrations, is helping to coordinate the May 1 events in Arizona, Oregon, New York, South Dakota and other states.
“Musk, Trump and their fellow profiteers are trying to create a race to the bottom—on wages, on benefits, on dignity itself,” the organization wrote in a statement, shared on their website promoting the protests. “They want to erase labor rights, break our unions, and silence immigrant voices.”
“This May Day we are standing united,” it continues. “This is a war on working people—and we will not back down. We are reclaiming our power from corporate elites, and we will not be intimidated by Trump, Musk, or their billionaire backers.”
Each rally has a different focus, with some promoting the Tesla Takedown movement to encourage people to divest from Musk’s electric vehicle company, while others are aimed at protecting schools amid the White House’s threats of withholding funds over diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, uplifting labor unions and in support of workers amid Trump’s crackdown on immigration.
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“We will build a world where every family has housing, healthcare, fair wages, union protection, and safety — regardless of race, zip code, or immigration status,” 50501 wrote on its website, adding in bold letters, “STOP THE BILLIONAIRE TAKEOVER. WE ARE THE MANY. THEY ARE THE FEW.”
The inspiration for the demonstrations was derived from the 1971 May Day protests in Washington, D.C., where over 12,000 people gathered to rally against the war in Vietnam. The civil disobedience effort lasted for three days and is known as the largest mass arrest in U.S. history, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.
