May 1 is for the workers, we are all workers, and it is International Workers’ Day. May Day is a bittersweet forgotten history for anyone living in Chicago. If one is paying attention to the marches that happen from México, Guatemala, Chile to Brazil, and around the world, Chicago is almost always referenced. As the retired Reverend Dan Dale remind’s us at CRLN ¨May Day was forged from the bloodshed and bravery of workers in Chicago, who dared to dream of a world where they would be treated with dignity.¨
On May 1, 1886, thousands of Chicago workers participated in a national strike demanding what today itself may seem in need of reform, the infamous eight-hour workday.
On May 4, during a peaceful rally at Haymarket Square, people protested police violence from a previous strike, and a bomb was thrown at the police. The police retaliated by opening fire and killing several people. The person responsible for the bomb was never identified. This led to eight people being arrested and four being executed.
August Spies – German-born editor of the anarchist newspaper Arbeiter-Zeitung.
Albert Parsons – Former Confederate soldier turned socialist and anarchist, editor of The Alarm.
Adolph Fischer – Printer and labor activist.
George Engel – German immigrant and militant socialist.
¡Presente!
The Haymarket Martyrs, as they were now known, became international symbols of working-class resistance. The memory of the Chicago Martyrs found a special connection with other worker movements in Latin America and Europe. Many of us who grew-up or know Latin American history find it ironic that despite many efforts to erase this radical history in the U.S., countries across Latin America and the world honor May Day as a day of action, historic memory and resistance, helping preserve this historic memory. May Day is a day people march to reclaim the dignity of workers, to demand justice for the poor, and to fight back against the violence of neoliberalism, exploitation and the political repression of capitalism.
Here in Chicago, in 2006, this forgotten historic memory was fused with the efforts for migrant justice that brought the immigrant rights marches of 2006, 2007 and 2008 into action. Organizers were aware of the importance of the date and participated in a historic moment that saw over 500,000 people, many from Latin America marching to have their voices heard in the streets of Chicago. I personally remember those marches because they hold a special place in my political education and formation. People filled the streets demanding comprehensive immigration reform, an end to deportations, and recognition of their labor and humanity. These marches were not only some of the largest in U.S. history but also a turning point that connected immigrant rights to the broader struggle for workers’ rights. Today, these demands remain unanswered. Some of us believe some aspects are worse. While we have won many local and national fights that benefit migrants, our undocumented sisters and brothers are owed so much more. One day soon, we will be able to talk about reparations for our undocumented community in the USA. And that painful conversations will have to include how forced migration was always a factor of decades of predatory and failed U.S. foreign policy.
CRLN honors the martyrs of 1886 and the millions who marched in the 2006. They are who continue to be the spirit of this movement. Their struggle is not in the past, it lives in undocumented workers fighting for fair wages, and students resisting family separation.
Under today’s repressive regime, as authoritarianism threatens the lives of all immigrants, workers, and the most vulnerable, we must take to the streets again.
On May 1, CRLN will be in the streets to honor the historic memory of the 1886 Martyrs, as well as the memory of the 2006 marches and to participate as we write a new chapter of resistance for Chicago and the United States.
¡No nos vamos!
CRLN will join the Interfaith Gathering that Arise Chicago has organized.
📅 Date: May 1, 2025
🕙 Time: 9:30AM – 10.30AM
📍 Location: Union Park, 1501 W Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60606
