As Americans observe Labor Day, workers across the country are taking to the streets to protest President Donald Trump and other billionaires who, they say, are taking power away from the working class.
The “Workers Over Billionaires” protests, led by the AFL-CIO, the nation’s largest federation of unions, along with dozens of other organizations, kicked off on Monday a multiday mobilization featuring some 1,000 rallies, picnics, marches and other events. Advocates hope to amass momentum and support among workers against the Trump administration and the wealthier segment of Americans who stand to benefit the most from the president’s policies.
“Every single thing working people have won for ourselves in this country’s history — it’s not because we asked those in power,” said Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, in a state of the union address last week. “It’s not because they were handed to us. It’s because we fought for them relentlessly,” she said.
Who is behind the protests?
In addition to the AFL-CIO, groups like One Fair Wage, a nongovernmental nonprofit that advocates for restaurant workers; Newtown Action Alliance, a gun violence prevention advocacy group; and many local organizations have participated in the planning of the nationwide protests.
Many of the “Billionaires” organizers are also part of May Day Strong, a coalition of labor unions, teachers associations and more that hosted a series of events and demonstrations protesting the administration on May 1, International Workers Day.
What are they protesting?
Advocates are railing against the “billionaire takeover” in government, criticizing corporate influence along with what many activists label as authoritarian policies, including the targeting of immigrant workers and the deployment of military forces in Washington, D.C.
“It’s important to show that there is opposition to the Trump-billionaire agenda in every community, big and small; it’s not just cities that are united against what’s happening… it’s all towns, it’s small towns that voted overwhelmingly for Trump,” Saqib Bhatti, executive director of Action Center on Race and the Economy, told USA Today.
The May Day Strong Coalition wrote on its website a list of five demands they are making, including the protection of Medicaid, Social Security and other programs for working people; an end to the attacks on immigrants and communities of color; and for the full funding of schools, health care and housing for all.
In response to NBC News’ questions about “Workers Over Billionaires,” the White House did not directly address the protests. But spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement that “no one has done more for working men and women than President Trump.”
“Under President Trump’s leadership, Republicans are once again the proud party of the American worker,” Rogers said.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt similarly touted Trump as a voice of the working class.
“President Trump believes that American workers are the heart and soul of our economy and our national identity, which is why he’s championed an agenda that puts them first always,” Leavitt said in a separate statement.
Where are the protests happening?
Demonstrations are being held in small towns and major cities across the U.S. A large group is expected to rally in front of Manhattan’s Trump Tower, where the attendees are expected to call for a $30 an hour minimum wage. Down Fifth Avenue, organizers have planned an afternoon protest with multiple references to the acronym TACO, which stands for “Trump Always Chickens Out.” The protest is slated to feature Trump costumes, taco props and a “restaurant in the street” where participants will be serving up tacos.
“The rally will center the question workers are asking New York legislators — Which side are you on?” according to a press release from One Fair Wage. “Trump and the National Restaurant Association corporate lobby, or workers fighting for a living wage and an end to the subminimum wage for tipped workers?”
In Chicago, protests, which began at 11am, have been centered around Trump’s threats to “straighten out” the city with federal law enforcement.
“The federal government can do a lot to help Chicago,” Chicago Teacher’s Union President Stacy Davis Gates said. “We’re not asking for a militarized force. We’re asking for SNAP benefits to be restored. We’re asking for the Department of Education to be funded and resourced so that special education children have recourse when their school districts fail to educate them appropriately.”
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