Activists and organizers rally and shut down 4th and Pennsylvania Avenue to observe May Day and D.C. Statehood Day in Washington, D.C., on May 01, 2026. —Jemal Countess—Getty Images for SPACEs in ActionProtesters are taking to the streets in cities and towns around the U.S. during “May Day Strong” events Friday in honor of International Workers’ Day. A coalition of hundreds of organizations is calling for a day of economic blackout with “no school, no work, no shopping” to demand “a nation that puts workers over billionaires,” a website for the event reads. Walkouts, marches, and other events have been planned to take place across the country, a number of which were underway by Friday afternoon.The Sunrise Movement, a youth-led climate activist group, said that over 100,000 students would be striking from school on Friday. “Over a dozen schools have cancelled classes because so many students and teachers are expected to miss class,” the organization posted on X.Organizers for the day of action outlined demands including “that we tax the rich so our families, not their fortunes, come first,” as well as “No ICE. No war. No private army serving authoritarian power. Expand democracy. Hands off our vote.” May Day, or International Workers’ Day, has long been marked as a day of protest by the labor movement. In the U.S., it traces back to the fight for an eight-hour workday in the 19th century. In early May 1886, a nationwide strike was organized to demand the limit on working hours. One May…

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Activists and organizers rally and shut down 4th and Pennsylvania Avenue to observe May Day and D.C. Statehood Day in Washington, D.C., on May 01, 2026. —Jemal Countess—Getty Images for SPACEs in ActionProtesters are taking to the streets in cities and towns around the U.S. during “May Day Strong” events Friday in honor of International Workers’ Day. A coalition of hundreds of organizations is calling for a day of economic blackout with “no school, no work, no shopping” to demand “a nation that puts workers over billionaires,” a website for the event reads. Walkouts, marches, and other events have been planned to take place across the country, a number of which were underway by Friday afternoon.The Sunrise Movement, a youth-led climate activist group, said that over 100,000 students would be striking from school on Friday. “Over a dozen schools have cancelled classes because so many students and teachers are expected to miss class,” the organization posted on X.Organizers for the day of action outlined demands including “that we tax the rich so our families, not their fortunes, come first,” as well as “No ICE. No war. No private army serving authoritarian power. Expand democracy. Hands off our vote.” May Day, or International Workers’ Day, has long been marked as a day of protest by the labor movement. In the U.S., it traces back to the fight for an eight-hour workday in the 19th century. In early May 1886, a nationwide strike was organized to demand the limit on working hours. One May…

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