May 2005

http://alawda.newjerseysolidarity.org

May Day: Workers And Activists March in NYC

On May 1, 2005, workers and activists from around the region converged on New York City's Union Square for a march and rally in celebration of May Day, International Workers' Day, and in protest of the U.S. war upon and occupation of Iraq. Called by the Troops Out Now Coalition and the Million Worker March Movement, the demonstration called for jobs, health care and education for all, and for an immediate end to war and occupation, not only in Iraq, but also in Palestine, Colombia, Korea, the Philippines, and around the world.

May 1, International Workers' Day, is the historic international day of celebrating and protesting for workers' rights and social and economic justice. Born out of the struggle for the eight-hour day in the United States in 1886, the holiday has become a landmark for working people around the world, as millions march and demonstrate annually on the first of May. Nevertheless, in the United States, May Day commemorations have long been sidelined. At the Million Worker March, held in Washington, DC on October 17, 2004, progressive labor activists pledged to reclaim May Day in 2005, with a spirited New York City march and rally.

The voice of the Palestinian cause was heard loudly and clearly at the demonstration, as speakers from New Jersey Solidarity - Activists for the Liberation of Palestine, the New York Committee to Defend Palestine, and Al-Awda New York, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition, spoke from the platform about the Palestinian struggle for national liberation, self-determination and return. Highlighting the struggles and leadership of Palestinian workers in the Palestinian movement, within Palestine and in exile, the speakers drew attention to the importance of U.S. workers standing in solidarity with their Palestinian sisters and brothers in their struggle against Zionist occupation and oppression. They emphasized the inspirational role the Palestinian movement has played in the international movement for social justice and the fundamental importance of recognizing the links between the Zionist occupation of Palestine and the U.S. occupation of Iraq, as well as drawing attention to the fact that it is the working people of the United States who are paying the price for the continued billions of dollars in U.S. aid to Israel.

Large Palestinian flags flew in the crowd, and kaffiyehs, or Palestinian scarves, were visible on many participants, Palestinian and non-Palestinian alike, illustrating in a visual manner the manifestation of solidarity with the Palestinian people.

The march and rally was led by a people of color-led labor coalition, the Million Worker March Movement, that came together in 2004 as it worked independently within the labor movement to prioritize workers' needs and concerns and emphasize the antiwar voice in the labor movement. As much of the labor movement dedicated its attention to electing pro-war, anti-Palestinian Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, the Million Worker March demanded that all candidates address the fundamental issues affecting working people in the United States.

This orientation and commitment to justice reflected itself in the organizers' approach to Palestine. Many Million Worker March activists have long been trade union leaders in the area who have taken strong positions in their own unions in support of the Palestinian struggle and faced fierce opposition and repression in return, such as Brenda Stokely, President of AFSCME Local DC1707. While the AFL-CIO holds $5 billion in "Israel Bonds," directly investing in the maintenance of apartheid and oppression in Palestine, the Million Worker March leaders voiced their solidarity with workers' struggles around the world - including, centrally, that in Palestine. Similarly, the Troops Out Now Coalition has continued to emphasize the fundamental importance of supporting the Palestinian struggle for liberation, and the right to return, for the antiwar movement and all progressive movements in the United States.

Speakers at the demonstration, including Colombian trade unionist Gerardo Cajamarca, Filipina activists from Damayan Migrant Workers Association, and a variety of labor and progressive groups including the International Action Center, the Jersey City Peace Movement, Casa Freehold, and Artists and Activists United For Peace, emphasized that this year's May Day demonstration was only a beginning, and announced plans to begin organizing for May Day 2006, carrying forward the messages and demands of the demonstration.