Huge turnout as US May Day protests focus on Trump
In Chicago, thousands of people rallied in a West Side park before marching through downtown to the lakefront. Some played drums and danced while others chanted “No justice, no peace!” The crowd included union workers, immigrant rights advocates, pro-Palestinian activists and students calling for better-funded public schools.
"We need to stand up and fight back,” said Latrina Barnes, a 48-year-old certified nurses assistant, adding that worries Medicaid and Medicare might be affected under the Trump administration inspired her to protest in a May Day rally for the first time.
Some rallygoers used humor to protest, displaying a Trump puppet, an inflatable Trump baby chicken and a Trump pinata shaped like a bull.
In downtown Los Angeles, thousands of demonstrators marched peacefully, hoisting signs saying “Immigrants make America great,” “Migration is beautiful” and “It’s not the time to be silent.” With bands playing and flags waving, the gathering had the feel of a celebration.
“We’re bringing the fight to the billionaires and politicians who are trying to divide us with fear and lies,” said April Verrett, president of the Service Employees International Union, which represents 2 million workers.
A number of speakers demanded elected officials protect workers’ and immigrants’ rights. With the slogan “One Struggle, One Fight — Workers Unite,” the event was organized by the Los Angeles May Day Coalition, made up of labor unions and community-based groups.
In Atlanta, hundreds gathered at a downtown park across from the state Capitol. The crowd included some retired U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention workers. The CDC is headquartered in Atlanta and is expected to lose around 2,400 employees due to cuts by the Trump administration.
“We really want to stand up for all of our fellow laborers who were laid off or just fired with no real reason,” said Deblina Datta, who worked on global immunization efforts before retiring in 2023. “We really want to make a cry that without the CDC, bad things will happen."
In New York City, hundreds of lawyers and their supporters gathered near courthouses in Lower Manhattan for a “National Rule of Law Day” rally to decry what some called the Trump administration’s disrespect of the legal system.
Hours later, a few thousand people were back in the same public square for a May Day march with labor activists, union members and others carrying LGTBQ flags and signs condemning Trump’s crackdown on immigrants. One person held up a cardboard sign that just said “Resist.”
European rallies target trade policies, rise of far-right
French union leaders condemned the “Trumpization” of world politics, saying demonstrations throughout the country were fueled by anger over U.S. military and trade influence in Europe. Far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon accused the U.S. of pushing Europe toward conflict and economic subservience.
“If the North Americans don’t want our goods anymore, we can just sell them to others,” he said.
In Germany, union leaders warned that extended workdays and rising anti-immigrant sentiment were dismantling labor protections. In Bern, Switzerland, thousands marched behind banners denouncing fascism and war — part of a wider backlash against the global surge of hard-right politics.
In Spain, thousands marched in Madrid, Barcelona and other cities, with demands ranging from a shorter workweek to answers for a historic power outage that blacked out the Iberian Peninsula earlier this week. Trump's name also surfaced.
“The world has changed a bit with Trump’s arrival,” said Ángel López, 56, a worker from Madrid. “The arrival of the far right to a country like the United States is a major global shift.”
Trump-fueled economic fears raised in Asia protests
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te cited the new U.S. tariffs under Trump as he promoted a sweeping economic package aimed at shoring up jobs and industry. In the Philippines, protest leader Mong Palatino warned that "tariff wars and policies of Trump" threatened local industries and people's livelihoods.
Some 2,500 union members marched from the Taiwanese presidential office in Taipei, warning that Trump’s tariffs could lead to job losses.
“This is why we hope the government can propose plans to protect the rights of laborers,” said union leader Carlos Wang.
In Manila, thousands of Filipino workers rallied near the presidential palace, where police blocked access with barricades. Protesters demanded wage hikes and stronger protections for local jobs and small businesses.
In Jakarta, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto addressed a cheering crowd at the National Monument Park. “The government that I lead will work as hard as possible to eliminate poverty from Indonesia,” he said.
Istanbul mayor's arrest is focus of protests in Turkey
In Turkey, May Day served as a platform not only for labor rights but for broader calls to uphold democratic values.
Tens of thousands gathered on Istanbul's Asian shore where some protested the jailing of Istanbul's opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu. His imprisonment in March sparked the country's largest protests in more than a decade.
Authorities blocked access to central Istanbul and shut down transit lines. Istanbul governor’s office said 384 people had been detained.
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Adamson reported from Paris and Kageyama reported from Tokyo. Contributing to this report were Associated Press journalists Suman Naishadham in Madrid, Nicolas Garriga and Masha Macpherson in Paris, Jamey Keaten in Geneva, Joeal Calupitan in Manila, Philippines, Andrew Wilks in Istanbul, Turkey, Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia, Jaimie Ding in Los Angeles, Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta, Carolyn Thompson in Buffalo, New York, and Taijing Wu in Taipei, Taiwan.
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