Thousands of people from Chicago and the suburbs came out on Thursday for a May Day rally and march to protest President Donald Trump’s policies.
May 1 is International Workers Day, a global holiday with roots in Chicago. It’s a traditional day for demonstrations, but this year’s activities carried an extra fervor because of Trump’s unprecedented first 100 days in office. Those at the march, and the people who helped organize it said they’d been driven to speak out because of Trump’s attacks on immigrants and workers.
Malena with Arise Chicago
Malena did not want her last name used because she fears retribution from the Trump administration. She got to work early in the morning passing out signs and coordinating with other union members before heading to Union Park to start the march. Malena and other Arise Chicago members worked for months on butterfly-shaped signs and two portable sculptures: a pile of ice curves that represent Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, and a bright sun, which represents the fire that will help immigrant communities push back and melt ICE.
“Everything has a special meaning,” Malena said in Spanish. “We all arrive here with an illusion: to raise our kids and give them a better life. But it has been hard. We are here to defend our rights. We are living in fear, but we can’t hide from it. We are not criminals.”
Sharon Hunter-Smith, a member of University Church
“I’m here because our church believes in the beloved community, a community of compassion and care for all God’s children,” Sharon Hunter-Smith said. “We are appalled by Trump’s attacks on immigrants, on international students, on working people. His vision is completely opposite from ours, and we’re doing everything we can to continue to follow our faith. We believe that following Trump’s vision for America is not a Christian vision. It’s an anti-Christian vision.”
Juan Raya arrived in the U.S at 16, and Raul Dorantes arrived when he was 19
Raya and Dorantes have lived in the Chicago area for decades. Dorantes is a teacher, and Raya is an environmental supervisor. The longtime friends are performers with Colectivo el Pozo, a theater company in Chicago. They are both U.S. citizens but said they have many immigrant friends and family members who are trying to live legally in the United States.
“We are here to support our other immigrants because what Trump is doing is unjust,” Raya said in Spanish.
“I am deeply hurt to see what’s happening with our brothers from Venezuela,” Dorantes said, referring to the hundreds of migrants who were recently deported to El Salvador as part of Trump’s crackdown on immigrants.
Jennifer Silk and her husband Roy Vombrack are with the Chicago Musicians Union
Silk plays the violin, and her husband plays the tambourine. Silk said she has been learning a lot more about World War II and the lead-up to fascism
“I was shocked by how close we are with that right now with President Trump, and I am just so disappointed,” Silk said.
“There are many, many Americans who don’t like what’s happening in the government,” Vombrack added. “We are here to represent those people and to make some music that makes people uplift a little bit more and and feel more hopeful.”
Miriam is with a group of immigrant workers who traveled from Joliet
Miriam did not want her last name used because she fears retribution from the Trump administration.
“We are living in fear, we are constantly targeted because of the color of our skin and the language that we speak.” Miriam said in Spanish. “But despite the fear we need to come out in support. More than fear, we need to have the courage to fight for justice, and the opportunity to live and defend our freedom.”
Marvelle Galloway showed up to the rally in support of immigrants, health care and education
“We need to stay together, and Donald Trump and his administration are a bunch of crooks and thieves and cronies. I am a Black American, and I still don’t get everything I got coming, but [immigrants] deserve the opportunity if they came this far and it will make America better.”
Galloway said she still remembers when her aunt took her at the age of 7 to a march in Birmingham, Alabama, for civil rights. She said decades later, people still need to find the courage to fight for their rights.
Adriana Cardona-Maguigad covers immigration for WBEZ. Follow her on X @AdrianaCardMag.