What is May Day? See list of May 1 rallies scheduled in Chicago
Thousands of Chicago residents are expected to participate in May Day demonstrations Friday, May 1, in solidarity with workers.
The organization May Day Strong has close to 750 events planned across the country, including more than a dozen in Chicago. The events specifically call on "workers, students, and families" to march on May 1 and to put "workers over billionaires."
More than 50 rallies are scheduled statewide in Illinois, with Chicago demonstrations expected to draw the biggest crowds.
"No School. No Work. No Shopping," reads the May Day Strong organization's website. "Across the country, we are standing up and demanding that we tax the rich so our families, not their fortunes, come first. No ICE. No war."
What is May Day?
May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day, honors workers and the labor movement's history.
In 1886, hundreds of workers in cities across America went on strike in hopes of establishing an eight-hour workday. The strike led up to one of the country's "largest and most tumultuous periods of worker unrest," according to UCLA's College of Social Science.
Specifically, on May 4, 1886, eight men were arrested by the Chicago police for inciting violence after a bomb exploded at a protest and chaos broke out, with officer and civilian deaths. The men were put on trial, and several were executed, according to PBS.
This was later dubbed the "Haymarket Incident" or "Haymarket Affair."
International labor groups and socialist advocates adopted the International Workers’ Day or May Day holiday years after 1886. In some places around the world, May Day activities still memorialize the "Chicago Martyrs," according to UCLA's College of Social Science.
Where are May Day rallies in Chicago?
The times and addresses of the May 1 rallies scheduled in Chicago can be found below.
Chicago North Side
- 9 a.m. @ Theodore Roosevelt High School
- 9:30 a.m. @ Loyola Red Line Stop
- 10 a.m. @ Illinois Centennial Monument
- 11 a.m. @ 1020 W. Sheridan Road, 1144 W. Loyola Ave.
- 4 p.m. @ Oz Park (NE corner)
Chicago West Side/West Loop
- 9 a.m. @ BUILD, Inc.
- 9 a.m. @ Chicago Teachers Union Center
- 9 a.m. @ 175 N. Desplaines St.
- 11:30 a.m. @ 936 S. Damen Ave.
- 11:30 a.m. @ 1999 W. Taylor St.
- 1 p.m. @ Union Park
- 1 p.m. @ UIC University Hall
Chicago South Side
- Chicago: 9 a.m. @ Operation PUSH National Headquarters
- Chicago: 10:45 a.m. @ SEIU HCII
- Chicago: 11 a.m. @ 5200 S. Hyde Park Boulevard
- Chicago: 11 a.m. @ University of Chicago Main Quadrangle
- Chicago: 6 p.m. @ Haz Cooperative Studios
- Chicago: 7 p.m. @ RIP Events and Entertainment