For the rich, every day is a holiday. The corporate bosses enjoy lives of comfort and security by exploiting our labor, debt, and hardship. May Day is OUR holiday. A day for the working class to come together and recognize the achievements of our labor, and continue the fight for a better future.
May Day is historically significant for workers all over the world. DC’s workers have upheld a proud tradition of celebrating May Day for over 40 years. This year, we want May Day to be bigger than ever. We want to showcase the organizations that are fighting for working people and for our communities in the DMV area. To do that, we are having a festival on May Day highlighting speakers, musical acts, artists, and the incredible local organizations.
Here in the DC metro area, we’ve watched as our local government serves corporations such as Amazon– one of the richest companies in the world and a terrible employer — rather than investing in our crumbling infrastructure or providing services for our residents. We’ve watched as utility bills skyrocket with no explanation, forcing churches and social services to shut down, while large developers encroach on our historically black and working-class neighborhoods. We’ve watched as our education system has failed our children, while the children of the powerful receive preferential treatment.
On May 1st we ask you to stand with us regardless of race, religion or immigration status against corporations and corrupt politicians. The day has come for solidarity. Celebrate International Workers’ Day with the working class!
On Tuesday, May 1st, 2018, we will unite for a festival to:
Demand Political Power for the Working Class – We call on all workers to organize their workplaces and communities to take political power from the banks, corporations, political parties, and politicians of the 1%.
Smash Racism, Sexism, and Fascism – We stand united against racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia, anti-semitism and Islamophobia – the tools used by capitalists and politicians to divide, suppress, and intimidate our communities.
Stop Mass Deportations – We demand an end to racist deportation policies and travel bans. Corporate profiteering, a corrupt and ineffectual political class, and the police state are the driving forces behind our economic and physical insecurity.
End Mass Incarceration – We demand an end to militarized and racialized policing, which overwhelmingly criminalize and incarcerate the poor and people of color, protect the interests of corporations and banks, and stifle protest and political dissent.
Oppose Imperialist War – We demand an end to US wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Pakistan, Somalia, and Libya, an end to US military expansionism, and US support for tyranny, apartheid, and violence abroad.
Defend the Earth and its Resources – We demand an end to the commodification of the planet’s natural resources which threaten to destroy our natural environment and the health and safety of all living organisms.
Fight for Health Care, Education, and a Living Wage for All – We demand universal healthcare, quality education, and a living wage for all as human rights, not as products for the enjoyment of the wealthy and the profiteering of the 1%
