(The Center Square) – Thousands marched Thursday in Los Angeles, Phoenix and other cities across the U.S. to protest against Trump administration policies and for workers’ rights on May Day, also known as International Workers Day.
The theme for the downtown Los Angeles rally was “One struggle, One fight – Workers unite.”
The Los Angeles May Day Coalition said it expected its largest turnout yet. The coalition includes almost 90 labor unions and thousands of workers and residents.
The main Los Angeles rally started at 9 a.m. at West Olympic and South Figueroa streets. It was followed by marches to the Metropolitan Detention Center. More events took place later in Boyle Heights and MacArthur Park.
Also on Thursday, hundreds protested throughout San Diego County in cities varying from Carlsbad to Barrio Logan, KSWB-TV reported.
Dozens of anti-Trump protests took place in the San Francisco Bay Area.
In Phoenix, about 3,000 people attended a rally and a march that started at the Capitol and ended at the Sandra Day O’Connor United States Courthouse.
In addition to the rallies and marches on May Day, 20,000 University of California workers reportedly went on a one-day strike Thursday at UC campuses, hospitals and laboratories throughout the state to protest a hiring freeze. The University Professional and Technical Employees and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees unions claim the freeze has created a staffing shortage.
The university responded by saying the freeze applied only to future hires and that the UC has consistently come to the table in good faith to reach a contract with the unions, according to media reports. Talks are scheduled to resume May 8.
Meanwhile, a Los Angeles labor union faced criticism from Roxanne Hoge, chair of the Los Angeles County Republican Party, who said that teachers need to prioritize children.
“As President Reagan once said of teachers, ‘Yours is a sacred mission. You are keeper of the American dream,’” Hoge said in a statement emailed to The Center Square.
“Sadly, public education in our state is too often a nightmare thanks to the misplaced priorities of UTLA,” Hoge said, referring to the United Teachers Los Angeles labor union.
“The teachers union should refocus its efforts on a single goal — to provide educational excellence for our children,” Hoge said. “Non-related political infiltrators derail this. We support education, not indoctrination.”
