Thousands of people marched and rallied in Seattle on Friday for International Workers’ Day. The annual May Day event in Seattle drew an estimated 3,000 and 5,000 participants, according to police on scene.
The group gathered first at Cal Anderson Park and proceeded to South Lake Union.
The demonstration remained peaceful, with police reporting no issues throughout the day related to the protest, as of 4 p.m. The demonstration’s peaceful nature contrasts with some past May Day events in the city several years back.
May Day protests are an annual tradition in the Seattle area, historically advocating for better working conditions. This year, protestors’ calls expanded to include a range of social and political issues.
Protestors voiced criticisms against the Trump administration and U.S. involvement in Iran. They also showed support for Gaza and called for the elimination of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, better support for migrants and broader rights for transgender people.
Executive Secretary Katie Garrow Treasurer for MLK Labor, a coalition of unions in King County, discussed the core message of the event. She highlighted the disparity of wealth in the country.
“One of our taglines is workers over billionaires,” Garrow said. “In this country, wealth has become more and more concentrated amongst a top tier of people, while working people have a harder and harder time to try and get by.”
Garrow also emphasized the historical significance of collective action. She noted that “it’s all about this principle of collective action, of peaceful, nonviolent, collective demonstration and protest. These are traditions in our country that have led to major social change.”
The Trump administration responded to the criticism, with a spokesman stating that President Trump will always support American workers.
“The Trump administration has never wavered from standing up for American workers, from renegotiating broken trade deals to securing trillions in manufacturing investments to slashing taxes on overtime to securing our border,” wrote White House spokesperson Kush Desai.
Immigration policies were a significant concern for many participants.
Patrick Smith, a protester, shared a personal connection to the issue.
“I’m also here because my daughter’s significant other is a US citizen who was born in Mexico,” he said. “But he’s got lots of family that is very worried because they are not documented, and the cruelty that ICE is doing in my name is just unacceptable.”
KIRO 7 also contacted ICE for a response to the concerns raised by protestors, but did not receive a response by our deadline.