Speak-out for Peace, Justice, and the Rights of Working People! In the Fall of 2011, the forgotten people took over Zuccotti Park in Lower Manhattan, NYC. The poor, the dispossessed, the historical underclass, working people, and the oppressed decided that they would get in the face of Wall Street and tell the world that we mattered. The Occupy Wall Street movement was born and this initiative rapidly spread across the country and settled here as Occupy Boston in Dewey Square. After nearly 15 years, our mission remains and it is time that we again demonstrate that we matter. We must get in the face of the powers that be and demand an end to the assault on our rights and upon our lives. Across the country—from Washington, DC to Los Angeles, from Minnesota to Maine── working people and youth are rising up. On January 23, 75,000 people in Minneapolis took to the streets in sub-zero weather to demand an end to the armed occupation of their city. Thousands are organized in communities across the country to defend their neighbors. Millions have periodically mobilized against the abuse of power and arbitrary tyranny coming out of Washington. The imperial war machine in Washington is currently waging war against Iran, which has nothing to do with “democracy” or “human rights”. The same war machine that conducted genocide in Palestine and long-term military occupations in the Middle East and beyond. In Trump’s appeal to Iranians, he declared: “The hour of your freedom is at hand”. What a cruel joke! They seek to "liberate" the vast oil resources and strategic waterways controlled by Iran for US profits and domination. The yearly military budget has now reached a trillion dollars. And Trump is demanding another half trillion! Tax dollars are being used to bomb countries arbitrarily, conduct piracy on the open seas, murder people in small boats, invade countries, and kidnap the President of Venezuela. Trump has ordered military blockades of Venezuela and Cuba to impose economic strangulation as a tool to dominate those nations── the “Donroe Doctrine”. Palestinians continue to be murdered with impunity. The endless wars and occupations are based on lies and must be stopped along with the war against working people here at home. These funds must go for human needs— Not wars and occupations. Trump, via executive orders, and in collaboration with his billionaire buddies, eliminated union bargaining rights for over 1 million workers! Hundreds of thousands of government workers have been fired or forced out. Project 2025 is real and will continue unless we mobilize and stop it. The billionaire class and its representatives in Washington are defunding our schools, cutting nutrition, privatizing public services, ripping up union contracts, kidnapping immigrants and citizens, and seek to destroy our constitutional rights. As recent tariffs have lined the pockets of billionaires, food, appliance, and electricity costs continue to rise. Housing is unaffordable for millions. The tariffs alone have cost the average household $1700. We do not suffer from scarcity. We suffer from the greed of corporations and billionaires. We know there is more than enough for all of us to thrive if they don’t steal it. Corporations and billionaires profit off our pain – not trans kids, homeless workers, or immigrant families. Trump’s raids, deportations, occupations, invasions, and power grabs continue. Gestapo-like ICE raids— often blatantly illegal— are conducted by masked goons who smash car windows, bash down the doors of homes, shoot people, and kidnap our neighbors with impunity. Fascists, who flood into ICE, are bankrolled with US tax dollars, set aside to fund a semi-private army directed by the convicted felon in the White House. In the immediate future, we can defend our political space by USING IT. We have seen the onslaught of attacks on our communities escalate and our organizing must escalate as well. This is a war on working people—and we will not stand down. We seek to build a country that puts our families over their fortunes, public schools over private profits, healthcare over hedge funds, and housing over homelessness. A country where working people have safety from abuse of power and police brutality— regardless of race, zip code, or immigration status. Let’s join together and celebrate the 20th anniversary of the May Day National Strike for Amnesty. On May Day let’s take the day off and take to the streets! Trump, Musk, and the billionaire profiteers are leading the current assault against working people here in the US. But the overall assault has been going on for many years. The only differences among the billionaire class are the pace and scale of the overall assault. It is high time that we as working people took matters into our own hands and organize our own labor party, independent from the two-party duopoly. On May 1st: No Work, No School, No Shopping! We demand: • End the war on Iran! Stop the bombing Now! Troops home now! No funds for murdering or bombing Palestinians! Stop the US/Israeli genocide! End the blockades of Cuba and Venezuela── Now! Fund human needs── not wars and occupations! Let the rich pay for their wars! • End the billionaire looting! Fully fund public services, Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, the Environmental Protection Agency, national parks, nutrition (SNAP), public education, public housing, and public childcare! Medicare for all! Power to workers— Not the billionaires! We demand labor’s right to unionize, organize, and strike! • Legal permanent residence (Green Cards) for All undocumented workers— Now! Abolish ICE! Arrest and prosecute all ICE and CBP agents who violate the due process rights of Massachusetts residents! Shut down ICE & the detention centers! ICE out of Massachusetts! • Housing is a human right── housing first! End the attacks on the LGBT community! • Stop police brutality! End the abuse of power! Hands off our Black and Brown communities! • Stop the climate catastrophe! Justice for the victims of the Epstein class! The Speak-out for Peace, Justice, and the Rights of Working People will be followed by a march to join the May Day 2026 action at 4:30 PM at the Boston Common, Parkman Bandstand. Current Cosponsors: Community Advocates for Justice and Equality, Boston May Day Coalition, Metro Boston Club - CPUSA, FMLN – MA, Veterans for Peace, Boston – Smedley D Butler Brigade, July 26 Coalition, Community Church of Boston, Workers Strike Back – Boston, Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) - Boston/Lowell, Committee for Peace and Human Rights - Boston, About Face - Boston, more to follow Please note: A core principle behind all our events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events.