May Day or International Workers Day, started in Chicago Illinois in May 1886 when a labor union, trying to get better working conditions, like an eight hour work day, met with police bent on violence. Someone ultimately threw a bomb, and to this day we still do not know who. The police began shooting at the unarmed protestors, several were arrested, convicted and sentenced to hang. Most of those hung were immigrants. May Day, now held on 1 May every year, is in recognition of that first deadly protest in Chicago, and is a regular holiday in almost every industrialized country, except America. Since Donald Tramp restole the election and has totally desiccated the American Constitution, there have been regular protests all across the country. This event held at the intersection of Mission and 24th Streets in San Francisco drew a crowd of hundreds, started with a flat bed truck used for a drum circle to call out participants. Many of the people who came out carried signs, some with one for each hand, some had a different sign on each side, many hand made. There were speeches from local people about how their immigrant families are now too afraid to even go to work or get groceries, for fear of being arrested and deported, without trial. And now, even American born citizens are being deported. The Mission District of San Francisco is home to a predominantly Latino community, who get stuck with the menial low wage jobs like hotel maids, or farm laborers, are especially concerned with those events and take them very personally. A very diverse racial group came out and participated, young and old, all gender identities accepted. As witnessed 1 May 2025
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