Editors note: Some sources have chosen to remain anonymous or identify themselves by first name only out of concern for their safety and security.

When the clock struck noon, every union at UC Santa Cruz was on the field at the base of campus. That’s six different unions, representing workers of different skills, trades, appointments and jobs. At the event’s height, around 250 students, faculty, staff and community members rallied in protest and solidarity.

A crowd of approximately 60 community members, many of whom were members of UC-American Federation of Teachers or the Nor Cal Carpenters Union, march from the intersection of Hagar and Collidge drives to join the picket at the base of the UCSC Campus.

This was the scene that played out on May 1, or May Day, as numerous organizations from campus and the city at large came together to support the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) 3299’s single-day strike.

“As far as I remember, this is the first time we’ve had a strike on May Day, and every union on campus has come out to support it,” said PhD student and United Auto Workers (UAW) organizer Nate Edenhofer. “This is the product of building solidarity between so many different unions.”

An attendee scans a petition from the Nor Cal Carpenters Union Local 646 calling for the removal of W.E. O’Neil Construction Co. of NorCal from UCSC. The company, which is contracted to build the Family Student Housing complex on Hagar Drive, faces several allegations for worker fatalities.

International Worker’s Day, also known as May Day, is observed annually on May 1. The day honors the Haymarket Square riots in 1886, where a crowd of workers striking for an eight-hour work day were shot at by police following the detonation of a bomb. An estimated 7-14 people were killed, and about a hundred more were injured. Now, May Day commemorates the ongoing fight for workers, with thousands of demonstrations held worldwide in support of labor rights and broader social justice issues. 

“[May Day] is a celebration of the struggle, heroism, and sacrifice of the working class and all of their allies in the struggle against the struggles against oppression,” said Savvy, a media liaison for Students for Justice in Palestine.

A crowd of workers, students and community members gather at the base of the UCSC campus holding picket signs and mingling.

A mix of green AFSCME shirts and blue UPTE shirts made up the crowd, mingling with high-visibility, vest-clad members of the Nor Cal Carpenters Union. As the rally went on, union members, faculty and students enjoyed music, gathered for speeches, and ate together on the lawn. The unions began dispersing around 2 p.m., taking down their tents, packing away food and hauling off audio equipment. In their wake, a different, but not unrelated gathering began.

“Long Live May Day”

Union picketers gave way to student organizers as the strike at the base of campus came to an end. About 60 demonstrators, led by the Revolutionary Student Organization (RSO), remained on the lawn at the base of campus in preparation for a march downtown. It was the first in a series of May Day activities planned by RSO.

[SLIDES 1, 2] Marchers gather at the Santa Cruz clock tower under large banners. As cars drive by, the demonstrators chant “money for jobs and education, not for war and occupation.” [SLIDE 3] A marcher holds a sign reading “Free Alma Bowman,” advocating for the release of a 58-year-old Pilipina activist detained by ICE. 

The march kicked off around 2:15 p.m. and continued down High Street before turning onto Mission Street and finally coming to rest at the clock tower in downtown Santa Cruz. Once there, community members and students rallied beneath a red banner, which read “Workers and Oppressed People of the World Unite!” They chanted to the beat of drums and listened to speeches by various activist groups.

“We are here today to join our voices with the masses of working people. On this day, in every corner of the world, we are calling for justice, for dignity, and most of all, an end to the rule of exploiters and oppressors,” said an anonymous RSO organizer as they addressed the growing crowd. “Long live May Day!”

At 3:45 p.m., the group marched down Pacific Avenue, tailed by the well-known Santa Cruz peace truck. As demonstrators continued down the street, onlookers emerged from the businesses lining the avenue, with some stopping to wave and others recording the action. 

The marchers walked across the Chinatown bridge and proceeded into San Lorenzo Park.  The smell of lentil stew and focaccia bread wafted through the air as participants filtered onto the lawn for an afternoon of speeches, music and community celebration.

[SLIDES 1, 2, 3] Marchers walk across Riverwalk bridge and make their way to San Lorenzo Park. There, organizers provide free food including bagels, focaccia bread, lentil soup, falafels and salad. 

At the park the crowd sat and listened to a slate of speeches given by five different organizations, including RSO, League of Class Conscious Workers, Tanggol Migrante Santa Cruz Network, Improve the Dreams, Equity, Access, and Success (IDEAS) and Campesina Womb Justice. 

“The same force they’re using to silence these students speaking out is that which they have consistently used to oppress workers all around the world,” said an anonymous member of IDEAS as they addressed the crowd. “We’re here today as students to stand with the working class, not only here, but nationally.”

Many of the speeches reflected the growing concerns regarding the direction of the new Trump administration, focusing on recent immigration and free speech policy.

“It’s different circumstances this year,” Savvy said. “We are seeing a new level of fascism that, in our lifetime, we have yet to experience. That is why a lot of students are really feeling the need to come out here today.”

As the speeches ended and the event came to a close, the scattered crowd on the lawn was invited over to a large Trump shaped piñata that had been strewn up between the trees in the middle of the event. Every strike was met with louder and louder cheers before. Not long after the initial hit, the piñata burst and assorted candy rained onto the spectators.

Marchers cross the Rivermark bridge and celebrate May Day at San Lorenzo Park. To celebrate, they set up a large Trump shaped piñata, gave empowering speeches from various organizers and sat in large groups, enjoying the afternoon sun. 

 “The greatest point of unity is the struggle to maintain our democratic rights in service of the struggle for power,” said an anonymous RSO media liaison. “It’s very easy to be a revolutionary in a high tide, it’s very easy to join in when it’s the thing to do, but it’s a lot harder to do it in a time of repression.”

Additional reporting by Reggie Sasaki.