May Day celebrations are held in many parts of the country to commemorate the struggles of labor and immigrants in the United States.
For more information visit the MIRAc website
This May 1, the Minnesota Immigration Rights Action Coalition (MIRAc) is organizing the fourth Minnesota May Day march and celebration for immigrant rights.
The march begins at 4 pm on Lake Street and 13th Avenue in Minneapolis. Participants will walk down to Nicollet Avenue and 29th Street where a community celebration will be held with speakers and representatives from community organizations. At press time, organizers had not yet received a permit for the march, but expressed confidence that they would receive one, writing in an email: “We are pleased to announce that we are working closely with the Minneapolis Police Department and the Mayor’s office to ensure a legal and successful march that everyone can feel welcome to participate in.”
On Friday, April 24, the City Council unanimously passed a resolution endorsing the march.
Eduardo Cardenas, one of the organizers from MIRAc, said they are trying to focus more on the community festival this year instead of the march. “We want to provide more of an opportunity for people to learn about the different things going on right now [in the community],” he said.
Unconditional legalization for immigrants, stopping deportations, and getting drivers licenses for all immigrants are just some of the issues that Cardenas said will be discussed at the event. Participants can also learn about preventing foreclosures and bringing in green jobs.
But the May Day celebration isn’t just about immigrant rights. “We are celebrating what the middle class has done for this county and for the world,” said Cardenas. “[Labor rights] are the reason immigrants come to the U.S.”
Sadie Lundquist is a journalism student at the University of Minnesota and an intern at the TC Daily Planet.
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