A group of protestors brave rainy conditions Thursday in downtown Marquette to participate in a nation-wide May Day protest. (Journal photo by Annie Lippert)

MARQUETTE – The streets of downtown Marquette were lined with protestors Thursday, who were voicing their displeasure with the Trump administration as part of a nation-wide May Day protest.

The protest was put on by Lake Superior Indivisible in collaboration with the Northern Michigan University chapter of the American Association of University Professors and the American Federation of Teachers chapter 6761.

“We are protesting to ask the government to put people over profits. The billionaires have taken over the federal government in Washington, DC, and they’re slashing services that people in the U.P. depend on,” said Brian Wallen, volunteer with Lake Superior Indivisible. “We shouldn’t live in a world where people have to work three or four jobs just to pay the bills. We shouldn’t live in a world where homeless people have no no place to go, where people are food insecure and you can’t make a fair living wage, so that’s why we’re out here today.”

Protesters lined both sides of Washington street all the way from the post office down the block towards fourth street, carrying umbrellas and signs bearing slogans such as “this is what a patriot looks like” and “hate does not make America great.” Cars honked as they drove by, indicating support for those standing out in the rain.

“May Day celebrates the progress of working people and all those who fought to win additional labor rights and protections,” said Ezra Levin, co-executive director of Indivisible. “As Trump and his cronies strip America down for profits, we’re joining organized labor, immigrants’ rights groups, and Hands Off! allies to mark the day with a nationwide show of working people’s solidarity.”

This is only the latest of several recent protests in Marquette against the Trump administration, including the Hands Off! protest on April 5th and the Stop the Cuts protest on April 19th.

“It’s May Day, and pretty much in every other country except the United States, May Day is the historical day to show international labor solidarity,” said Robbie Goodrich, Contract Officer with the AAUP and history professor at NMU. “Today is part of a national day of action sponsored by hundreds of different unions and community organizations which recapture that legacy.”

“Yes it’s about the labor movement, but the labor movement is about communities,” said Goodrich. “The labor movement is about families. The labor movement’s about our kids. It’s about the ones that go to college. It’s the ones that go into the trades. It’s the ones that maybe need some support from somewhere else. So this is about building stronger communities through a strong labor movement.”

“It’s for us in the labor movement to guarantee that we’re also looking after the weakest members in our communities right now. I think under the current administration, those are people who hold visas, the international laborers who are working in our country and doing a great job, said Goodrich. “We want to let them know that we’re here for them. And we also want to make sure that people understand that the labor movement is also queer friendly. You know, our co workers are trans people, our co workers are gay, our co workers are everyone else. And it’s just about where you stand in the community, and the best community is one that’s open, inclusive to everyone.”

Annie Lippert can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 542. Her email address is alippert@miningjournal.net.