US activists plan May Day economic blackout: ‘No school, no work, no shopping’

Key Points:

• Labor unions, democratic organizations, and community groups across the US are organizing an economic blackout on May Day to protest government policies favoring billionaires over workers, inspired by a previous economic blackout in Minnesota during an ICE operation.
• The number of May Day events has more than doubled this year, with over 3,000 actions planned nationwide, reflecting growing worker consciousness and a push toward larger-scale economic disruption and general strikes.
• Cities like Chicago and Los Angeles are preparing city-wide economic blackouts, with major local unions and groups endorsing actions focused on issues such as immigration rights, voting rights, workers’ rights, and opposition to ICE and unilateral military actions.
• Organizers emphasize that these protests aim to build a broader movement to defend democracy and address systemic crises, including the marginalization of institutions and the affordability crisis affecting families and young people.
• The growing participation and endorsement from diverse organizations, including unions, nonprofits, grassroots, and faith groups, indicate increasing public readiness to engage in activism and collective economic disruption.