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A Look Into May Day Demonstrations of 2026

By Andreas Nicolau, Cristian Nuñez and Mariana Hernandez
May Day 2026, a day where thousands march through Chicago, demanding justice for workers, protesting ICE and calling for an end to oligarchy. 

Photos by Andreas Nicolau

Max Jenkinson rallies at the May Day rally on Washington Bvld. in Chicago on Friday, May 1, 2026. Being in Chicago for over a year after immigrating from Manchester, England, he was on strike from his work at a particle physics research laboratory in Batavia, Ill. (Photo by Andreas Nicolau)
Kate Graham participates in a call and response chant in Chicago on Friday, May 1, 2026. Her sign reads, “No More Oligarchy.” (Photo by Andreas Nicolau)
Cynthia Moses argues with a protester at the rally in Chicago on Friday, May 1, 2026. Moses was part of a small counter-protest group that was in support of Trump and the MAGA movement. She thought the rallies were “bull-–t,” “performative and dodge accountability.” (Photo by Andreas Nicolau)
Cynthia Moses waves an American flag around a community activist, Freedom Road Socialist organization, responsible for leading a large portion of the May Day rally in Chicago on Friday, May 1, 2026. Moses was there in opposition to the rallies. (Photo by Andreas Nicolau)
David Dewar participates in a pro-Trump counter-rally in Chicago on Friday, May 1, 2026. Dewar is running for Illinois Representative in the 35th district. (Photo by Andreas Nicolau)
Police presence is heavy around the counter-rally in Chicago on Friday, May 1, 2026. Intervention was needed multiple times to stop altercations. (Photo by Andreas Nicolau)
Police presence is heavy around the counter-rally in Chicago on Friday, May 1, 2026. Intervention was needed multiple times to stop altercations. (Photo by Andreas Nicolau)
McCarrick Fitzgerald chants through a megaphone in Chicago on Friday, May 1, 2026. She has been directly involved in leading protest chants for over two years. (Photo by Andreas Nicolau)
Xiuhmitl Montalvo and Atezcatl Siwakoatl chat as their group, Kalpulli iXinachtli Xochikalli, moves through the streets in Chicago on Friday, May 1, 2026. The group practices, preserves and displays traditions of the Nahua people in Central Mexico. (Photo by Andreas Nicolau)

Photos by Cristian Nuñez

Volunteers hold hands as they lead the rally to Daley Plaza in Chicago on Friday, May 1, 2026. (Photo by Cristian Nuñez)
Rally attendees hold a sign that show bloody hands among other posters urging for “Trans Liberation” and “Healthcare not Warfare” at the Daley Plaza on Friday, May 1, 2026. The bloody hands are meant to signify the guilt that lays on the hands of oligarchs. (Photo by Cristian Nuñez)
Monarch butterfly posters walk in support of the May Day rally in Chicago on Friday, May 1, 2026. The monarch butterfly symbolizes the support for migrants that have moved to the United States along with the non-profit organization, Arise Chicago, that works with working class immigrants. (Photo by Cristian Nuñez)
Signs in support of the LATAM community parades around at the May Day rally in Chicago on Friday, May 1, 2026. The rally originated as a worker’s rights movement, but has now evolved into a rally against President Trump’s policies. (Photo by Cristian Nuñez)
With the conclusion of the May Day rally, attendees gather together at the Daley Plaza in Chicago on Friday, May 1, 2026. This demonstration marked 136 years since it began in 1886 in a campaign for eight-hour workdays. (Photo by Cristian Nuñez)

Photos by Mariana Hernandez

Demonstrators hold a sign that says, “People Over Profit” at the May Day rally in Union Park, Chicago on Friday, May 1, 2026. With rallies spanning over different areas of Chicago, the spirit of solidarity and resistance is demonstrated all over the state. (Photo by Mariana Hernandez)
President of the Chicago Teachers Union, Stacy Davis Gates, speaks alongside organizers during the May Day rally at Union Park in Chicago on Friday, May 1, 2026. In her speech, Gates addressed issues related to public education, democracy and workers rights. (Photo by Mariana Hernandez)
“Money for people’s needs, not the war machine!” reads the sign made and led by The Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) in Union Park, Chicago on Friday, May 1, 2026. PSL joined the movement to fight for immigrant rights and anti-war causes, working to unite Chicago residents. (Photo by Mariana Hernandez)
A memorial for individuals such as, Josué Castro-Rivera and Silverio Villegas González, who passed away during ICE enforcement raids in the country at Union Park, Chicago on Friday, May 1, 2026. From the city to the suburbs, the Latino community tries to rebuild since ICE stepped foot in Illinois. (Photo by Mariana Hernandez)
Anti-war and pro-minority signs are held proudly as student supporters share their voices in Union Park, Chicago on Friday, May 1, 2026. CPS made an agreement with CTU that allowed students to skip class and attend afternoon rally instead. (Photo by Mariana Hernandez)

Photos/captions curated by Diego Yepez

Header Image by Cristian Nuñez

Published in Politics and Pueblo

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