May Day, or International Workers’ Day, is celebrated around the world on May 1st. The day dates back to May 1st, 1886, when workers in Chicago began a multi-day strike to demand an 8-hour work day. The strike, which has come to be known as the Haymarket Affair, turned violent when police attacked the protestors. On May 4th, a bomb exploded in Haymarket Square, killing police officers and civilians. Ultimately eight men were charged guilty of conspiracy to murder and four were hanged, despite that no evidence was ever produced that any of them had any relationship to the bomb.
To honor the Chicago workers, the International Socialist Conference in 1889 named May Day a labor holiday, birthing what many nations now call International Workers' Day. In the US, labor groups organize annual May Day rallies and actions, and this year’s is going to be big!
Musk, Trump and their fellow profiteers are trying to create a race to the bottom — on wages, on benefits, on dignity itself. They want to erase labor rights, break our unions, and silence immigrant voices. This May Day we are standing united with working people across the country.
Join us at the NYC May Day Solidarity Day of Action on Thursday May 1st, a part of a nationwide series of actions! SURJ NYC will meet at the Abraham de Peyster Statue in the northwest corner of Foley Square at 4:45pm. RSVP here to join us!
Because May Day is the first Thursday of the month, we are moving our May Chapter Meeting to Thursday May 8th from 6:30-8:30pm. Come participate in a chapter-wide process to decide on SURJ NYC's mayoral election activities! You’ll learn more about the race and how to get involved in the final two months before the primary.
Onward,
SURJ NYC