May 1 brought demonstrators out to downtown St. Joseph for a small May Day rally.
The focus of the event was on workers, and protestors sought to promote the interests of the people over billionaires with the crowd spanning several generations. Take 104-year-old Gloria, for example. She told us she was there because she wants to leave behind something her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren can be proud of.
“I see a lot of people that are wanting to make this what it used to be once, a country where we are proud of being an American and not what it is now,” Gloria said. “I want it to be led by people who understand what democracy is.”
Although this wasn’t a No Kings protest, there was a decidedly anti-Trump message to the event. Willie told us the political situation right now is appalling.
“To a lot of us, it’s just so disturbing to see Trump and his administration, the way that things are going, this war,” Willie said. “We need to let it be known. And it’s also embarrassing, as citizens of the United States, what we must look like to the world, what the world must think of us.”
The “Workers over Billionaires May Day Together We Stand” demonstration was held in solidarity with similar events taking place around the country. Rallies were also held in Paw Paw, Saugatuck, and Michigan City, Indiana.
Many demonstrators also marked May Day by refusing business as usual for the day, avoiding school, work, and shopping.
