Thousands rally in Boston against billionaires on May Day

Local News

Labor and immigrant rights groups lead citywide demonstrations calling for economic and workplace reforms.

Mayor Michelle Wu speaks at the May Day rally in Boston. Courtesy

Thousands of demonstrators took part in May Day rallies in Boston on Friday, joining an international day of action focused on workers’ rights, immigration protections, and economic inequality.

The local events, organized by a coalition of labor unions, immigrant rights groups, and community organizations, are part of a broader call for a “no work, no school, no shopping” day of protest. Organizers say the effort highlights the role of workers in the economy and pushes back against what they describe as a “billionaire agenda.”

Several demonstrations played out throughout the day, including rallies at the Massachusetts State House and Logan Airport. The Boston Teachers Union led a march from City Hall Plaza to Boston Common, where the day culminated in a large rally drawing thousands.

Political attendees included Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Sen. Ed Markey, and Rep. Ayanna Pressley.

“Today, powerful people are still dismissing workers’ rights as unrealistic, radical, or peculiar,” Wu said in a Facebook post about Friday’s demonstrations. “And the federal government is owned by billionaires who think basic dignity for workers is too much to ask. They think asking the wealthy to pay their fair share is unreasonable, paid family leave is excessive, and anything that puts working people ahead of profits is un-American.”

“In Boston — the cradle of liberty and birthplace of America — we know the fight for workers’ rights isn’t peculiar, it’s just, and it is never finished,” she added.

Morgan Rousseau is a freelance writer for Boston.com, where she reports on a variety of local and regional news.

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