Albuquerque – Thousands of people descended on Albuquerque’s Civic Plaza under unusually cloudy and windy skies Friday as a part of a day long May Day “strike” against a growing wealth and opportunity gap in the country.
The events were organized by more than two dozen labor unions including Teamsters Local 492, UA Local 412, and CWA Local 7076 and community groups including El CENTRO de Igualdad y Derechos and Somos un Pueblo Unido. Speakers rallied the crowd in support of higher national wage laws and freezes on federal immigration raids they say are targeting working immigrant families. The groups marched from Civic Plaza along Third Street before returning for evening organizing sessions.
Similar marches were held in in Santa Fe, Farmington, Artesia and Hobbs.
Friday was International Workers’ Day with more than 25 local labor unions and community organizations gathered for a rally and a march at Albuquerque Civic Plaza. Roberto E. Rosales for the The Paper Friday was International Workers’ Day with more than 25 local labor unions and community organizations gathered for a rally and a march at Albuquerque Civic Plaza. Roberto E. Rosales for the The Paper Friday was International Workers’ Day with more than 25 local labor unions and community organizations gathered for a rally and a march at Albuquerque Civic Plaza. Roberto E. Rosales for the The Paper Friday was International Workers’ Day with more than 25 local labor unions and community organizations gathered for a rally and a march at Albuquerque Civic Plaza. Roberto E. Rosales for the The Paper Friday was International Workers’ Day with more than 25 local labor unions and community organizations gathered for a rally and a march at Albuquerque Civic Plaza. Roberto E. Rosales for the The Paper Friday was International Workers’ Day with more than 25 local labor unions and community organizations gathered for a rally and a march at Albuquerque Civic Plaza. Roberto E. Rosales for the The Paper Friday was International Workers’ Day with more than 25 local labor unions and community organizations gathered for a rally and a march at Albuquerque Civic Plaza. Roberto E. Rosales for the The Paper Friday was International Workers’ Day with more than 25 local labor unions and community organizations gathered for a rally and a march at Albuquerque Civic Plaza. Roberto E. Rosales for the The Paper Friday was International Workers’ Day with more than 25 local labor unions and community organizations gathered for a rally and a march at Albuquerque Civic Plaza. Roberto E. Rosales for the The Paper Friday was International Workers’ Day with more than 25 local labor unions and community organizations gathered for a rally and a march at Albuquerque Civic Plaza. Roberto E. Rosales for the The Paper Friday was International Workers’ Day with more than 25 local labor unions and community organizations gathered for a rally and a march at Albuquerque Civic Plaza. Roberto E. Rosales for the The Paper Friday was International Workers’ Day with more than 25 local labor unions and community organizations gathered for a rally and a march at Albuquerque Civic Plaza. Roberto E. Rosales for the The Paper (From left to right) Cricket Brown, Rey Zane, and Jasper Brown behind the scenes of Dukeland (Courtesy of Matthew Stanasolovich)
May Day movements emerged in the 1880’s as workers efforts to implement 8-hour work day laws eventually led to a movement expanding union membership around the country. Today, May Day, often called International Workers’ Day, is a holiday in many countries and is used as a day of action by American unions to remember workers who were injured or killed at work and to organize for fair wages.