(Chicago) Demonstrators went down to the streets of several American cities on the day of the Labor Day to criticize President Donald Trump and demand a decent salary for workers.
The demonstrations in Chicago and New York were organized by One Fair Wage in order to draw attention to the difficulties encountered by workers in the United States, where the federal minimum wage is US $ 7.25 an hour. Slogans “Trump must leave!” “Resounded in front of the president’s former residence in New York, while demonstrators gathered in front of another Trump Tower in Chicago, shouting” no national guard “and” lock it up! ». An important crowd has also gathered in Washington DC and San Francisco.
In New York, demonstrators gathered in front of the Trump Tower, which has become a pole of attraction for demonstrations as an important symbol of the president’s richness, even if he has not lived in this Manhattan skyscraper for years. The demonstrators have brandished signs and banners calling for the end of what they call as a fascist diet.
In Washington, a large crowd gathered with signs “stop the invasion of the Ice” and an umbrella on which was written “release Washington DC, no masked thugs”. Hundreds of other people gathered during demonstrations along the west coast to defend the rights of immigrants and workers.
Many groups gathered during the demonstrations in Chicago to listen to the speeches and lend their voices to the slogans.
“We are here because we are attacked. We are here because our fundamental values and our democracy are attacked. We are here because they threaten to send the army to our streets, “said Daniel Biss, mayor of Evanston, Illinois, to the crowd of Chicago, urging them to defend workers.
At one point, a woman came out of a vehicle registered in Iowa in Chicago to shout “long life to Donald Trump”, which caused a brief confrontation, the demonstrators who retaliated by cries until the woman left a few minutes later.
In the crowd, Ziri Marquez said that she came to demonstrate because she was concerned about common problems in the United States and the world, denouncing anti-migrant attitudes in the United States and the death of Palestinians in Gaza.
“I think, above all, you know, in the face of low wages and a stagnant economy, immigrants often serve as scapegoats,” said Mr.me Marquez, 25 years old.
Along the west coast, from San Diego to Seattle, hundreds of people gathered to request the “takeover by the billionaires”.
Groups supporting federal officials and unions paraded in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland, Oregon, to defend the rights of workers. The organizer of the rally, May Day Strong, said on his website that “billionaires fly the families of workers, destroy our democracy and constitute private armies to attack our cities”.
They called on the population to act collectively to end this takeover. Lynda Oakley, a portland demonstrator from Beaverton, told Oregolive.com that her frustrations concerning health care, immigration and social security had prompted him to join the march.
“I have enough of what’s going on in our country,” she said.
Teresa Mosqueda, King County Advisor, who participated in a demonstration at the Playground cascade in Seattle, Komo News told that the team wanted to send the message that workers are above the billionaires.
“Workers should have more power than the small class of billionaires,” she added.
