Workers, students, and advocacy groups in more than 600 cities across all 50 states are planning mass protests on May 1 in what organizers are calling a response to a “billionaire takeover” of democracy under President Donald Trump. The May Day actions, long associated with labor rights and international solidarity, are being framed this year as a full-scale resistance to policies that protesters say favor the ultra-wealthy while dismantling critical public services and criminalizing dissent.
“There will be no business as usual while they are disappearing people off the street, slashing critical services, and taking away our freedoms,” said Saqib Bhatti, executive director of Bargaining for the Common Good. “They’re causing a crisis in our communities. We’re going to bring that crisis directly to their doorsteps.”
At the center of the demonstrations is a rejection of what activists describe as the Trump administration’s “billionaire agenda.” This includes proposed cuts to foundational programs like Head Start, Medicaid, and Social Security, all while pursuing $4.5 trillion in tax breaks that primarily benefit the wealthiest Americans.
Among those targeted by organizers is Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whom Trump appointed to lead the Department of Government Efficiency. Musk has come under fire for his role in the elimination of over 280,000 federal jobs, cuts that critics say are part of a larger project to hollow out public institutions. The protests are also a response to the administration’s intensifying crackdown on pro-Palestinian advocacy, which has led to the arrests of student organizers and accusations that such activism equates to antisemitism or terrorism.
“Our communities are mobilizing for May Day because we want a world where it’s workers, students, immigrants, and working-class communities who thrive,” said Loan Tran, co-director of Rising Majority. “And a democracy where activists like Mahmoud Khalil can exercise their free speech while advocating for a cease-fire in Gaza or demanding that our government invest in housing, education, and healthcare for all instead of weapons and bombs.”
The demonstrations will also spotlight Trump’s controversial immigration policies. A recent deal with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has resulted in the expulsion of hundreds of migrants—many without criminal records—to a notoriously harsh prison system. Human rights advocates say the arrangement is emblematic of a broader erosion of rights for immigrants, especially Black, Indigenous, and trans people, who are increasingly targeted under federal policy.
Jade Kelly, president of Communication Workers of America Local 7799 in Colorado, underscored the movement’s resolve. “Billionaires are attacking unions and immigrants because they fear our collective power. But we’re not afraid,” Kelly said. “Our labor movement is building something stronger than fear. May Day isn’t a holiday, it’s a call to action for workers across the world. Across the nation, we’re reclaiming May Day in the spirit it was born, in solidarity with immigrants, in defense of all working people who make our schools run, our hospitals heal, our trains move, and our cities thrive.”
The protests aim to rally around a list of demands that includes full funding for education, healthcare, and housing; protection and expansion of key social programs; and the defense of civil liberties under threat. According to organizers, May Day 2025 represents not just an act of defiance but a vision for a radically more inclusive and just democracy.
“These attacks will be met with our people power, and we will fight for a real democracy in the U.S. that prioritizes the well-being of all people and the planet,” said Tran.
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