From Tokyo to Los Angeles, workers observe May Day as many express worries about Trump

TOKYO – Shouting “banzai!” oregon “live long,” thousands of radical gathered successful a Tokyo parkland connected Thursday and marched done the streets to the banging of accepted drums, arsenic Japan kicked disconnected celebrations to people May Day.

The holiday, besides known arsenic International Workers' Day oregon Labor Day, marks the struggles and achievements of workers and the labour question astir the world. Thousands of radical are expected to be rallies and marches crossed the U.S., including successful Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Philadelphia.

“For our children to beryllium capable to unrecorded with hope, the rights of workers indispensable beryllium recognized,” said Junko Kuramochi, a subordinate of a mothers’ radical who marched successful Japan's capital.

U.S. organizers accidental their connection this twelvemonth is focused connected warring backmost against President Donald Trump’s policies targeting immigrants, national workers and diverseness initiatives.

Even successful Japan, immoderate said Trump’s policies hung implicit the time similar a shadow. One motortruck successful the Tokyo march featured a doll that looked similar Trump.

Tadashi Ito, a national operation idiosyncratic successful Japan, said helium disquieted astir the imaginable for rising prices of imported earthy materials successful the months ahead.

“Everybody is warring implicit enactment and truthful the contracts thin to spell wherever the wages are cheapest,” helium said.

“We deliberation bid comes first. And we anticipation Trump volition eradicate struggle and inequalities,” Ito added.

In Indonesia, President Prabowo Subianto took to the streets of the capital, Jakarta, to greet thousands of workers who cheered him amid choky constabulary and subject information successful National Monument Park.

“The authorities that I pb volition enactment arsenic hard arsenic imaginable to destruct poorness from Indonesia,” Subianto told the crowd.

About 200,000 Indonesian workers were expected to instrumentality portion successful May Day marches crossed Southeast Asia’s largest economy, according to Said Iqbal, president of the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions.

They are demanding an extremity to outsourcing rules, wage raises, and extortion for home workers and migrant workers abroad, Iqbal said.

In Japan, crowds gathered from the northernmost main land of Hokkaido to the tropical land of Amami, and successful large cities similar Kyoto and Hiroshima.

Their demands were wide-ranging and included higher wages, sex equality, wellness care, reduced subject spending and catastrophe alleviation for earthquake victims. They besides demanded a ceasefire successful Gaza and an extremity to Russia’s penetration of Ukraine.

“Workers unite! Workers of the world! May Day!” they shouted, punctuating each exclamation with the connection “banzai!”

Los Angeles is expected to big 1 of the world's largest May Day events this year, and a banner determination summarized the day’s theme: “One Struggle, One Fight – Workers Unite!”

“We’re bringing the combat to the billionaires and politicians who are trying to disagreement america with fearfulness and lies. We cognize the information — an onslaught connected migrant workers is an onslaught connected each workers,” April Verrett, president of the Service Employees International Union, which represents 2 cardinal workers, said successful a statement.

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Associated Press writers Niniek Karmini successful Jakarta and Sophia Tareen successful Chicago contributed to this report.

Yuri Kageyama is connected Threads: https://www.threads.com/@yurikageyama

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