Seattle streets were flooded with people as part of the May Day march.
SEATTLE — In Seattle, hundreds of people marched through downtown in a rally for May Day, focused on workers’ rights, immigration, and social change.
Chants of “Whose streets? Our streets!” echoed through the city as demonstrators moved in a coordinated march organized by a coalition of dozens of labor unions, civil rights groups, and nonprofits. Organizers urged workers, immigrants, and migrants to “join the fight,” framing the event as part of a broader push for change.
“We’re in a crisis,” said Gabriel Prawl, president of APRI Seattle. “And we need everybody to be aware of this and everybody to be involved in making a change for better.”
Labor leaders emphasized the power of collective action. “Workers have real economic power, and one way to resist is that we can join together in taking actions,” said Katie Garrow, executive secretary-treasurer of MLK Labor.
The coalition rallied around three core demands:
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“Workers, Not Billionaires,” encouraging people to refrain from work, school, and shopping.
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“Community, Not ICE,” calling on Washington state to cut ties with federal immigration data-sharing programs.
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“Services, Not War,” advocating for shifting tax dollars from military aid to local community needs.
Organizers said events like the May Day march help build solidarity. “These are important tools for social change, and they’re opportunities for people to come together and feel that they’re not alone,” Garrow said.
Families were among those in attendance, including parents who said they wanted to pass along the importance of civic engagement to the next generation.
“It’s important that she knows we have a voice, as small as it seems,” said Katie Nakamura, who attended with her daughter. “Collectively we hold power, and this is how we have to show that.”
Nakamura added that the wide range of causes represented at the march reflected a shared purpose. “That’s what makes America, America,” she said. “We’re all out here representing individual causes, but collectively we’re out here for the people and for anybody’s rights, no matter where you come from.”
The march ended at Lake Union Park. Seattle police monitored the event throughout the day, and KING 5 crews observed that the demonstrations remained peaceful.
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