May Day 2026 Report-back

Members of the anarchist contingent march towards City Hall.

It’s inspiring that workers are still coming out for May Day. We know that revolutionary potential rests principally with the power of organized labor; despite setbacks, we remain optimistic about the future of the workers. 140 years after the state murdered 5 Chicago anarchists fighting for the 8-hour work day, we are still celebrating their struggle, despite the state’s attempts to divert our attention and repress us. 

There were, of course, areas for improvement. Workers came out for May Day, but not in full force. The number of May Day attendees has dwindled in the past couple of years. This year, there were roughly one thousand attendees; a far cry from the 200,000 at the first San José May Day in 2008.

We were also painfully aware of the police presence at the march. Officers on motorcycles flanked us on both sides. Their presence was antithetical to International Worker’s Day. It was an implicit threat to repeat the violence that occurred during the 1886 Haymarket affair, should we attempt to meaningfully challenge capitalism. They were not there to protect us, but to protect the state from the (currently modest) power that workers possess. 

Moreover, only a handful of our peers were wearing COVID safety masks. The risk of disease transmission in large groups, particularly the risk of COVID and long-COVID, still exists today. Masking is an easy way for people to lower this risk. We resolve to provide people with masks in our spaces, and encourage everyone to do the same for the good of their community.

When we got to City Hall, we joined a vibrant celebration with music and dance. Food Not Bombs provided food, drinks, and zines. Next to them, the Clothing Swap was distributing clothes. There was even a stall where people made pizzas on-site. Incense filled the air.

People had been delivering speeches during the march; they continued at City Hall. Most memorably, the League of Filipino Students shared the memory of community member Lyle Prijoles, who was murdered in the Toboso Massacre just 3 weeks ago.

May Day is a day of honoring martyrs and workers uniting in common cause. Despite our reservations about police presence and COVID safety, it’s obvious that these values remain fundamentally intact. We paid respect to our martyrs. We mourned, we laughed, we danced, and we shared meals together. And most importantly, workers of all stripes marched alongside one another. This solidarity is what May Day is about.