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Labor Day protesters across the country demand workers' rights, decry ICE

Labor Day protesters across the country demand workers' rights, decry ICE
FROM BALTIMORE COUNTY TO HARFORD, HOWARD, ANNE ARUNDEL AND CARROLL COUNTIES, AND EVEN RIGHT HERE IN THE INNER HARBOR, HERE IN BALTIMORE CITY, PEOPLE ARE PROTESTING TO RECLAIM WORKERS POWER OVER BILLIONAIRES WITH US, WITH US FOR RALLYING INSTEAD OF RESTING THIS LABOR DAY. THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO SPEND MY DAY OFF FROM WORK, TO FIGHT FOR THOSE WHO CAN’T FIGHT FOR THEMSELVES, NOT FOR WORKERS EXPLOITATION. PEOPLE LIKE HEATHER DANAHER ARE JOINING LABOR UNIONS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS FROM BALTIMORE AND BEYOND, RALLYING AND MARCHING FOR WORKERS AND AGAINST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION POLICIES AND BILLIONAIRES WHO THEY SAY ARE TAKING OVER THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. PEOPLE NEED TWO AND THREE JOBS JUST TO SURVIVE. NOW, THIS ISN’T A NEW PROBLEM WITH TRUMP. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT WORKERS HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH FOR DECADES. AND IF WE DON’T TURN THAT AROUND, IF WE DON’T HELP WORKING FAMILIES, WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TWO CLASSES. THE RICH, THE HAVES AND THE HAVE NOTS. AND I THINK THAT’S UN-AMERICAN. THE ECONOMIC POLICY INSTITUTE REPORTS 67 MILLION U.S. WORKERS MAKE LESS THAN $25 PER HOUR, WHICH THE PRO-WORKER GROUP. ONE FAIR WAGE SAYS IS A LIVING WAGE. TODAY FOR JOBS AND EDUCATION. THIS PROTEST IS ONE OF HUNDREDS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING ONE IN WESTMINSTER, DEMANDING A COUNTRY THAT PRIORITIZES PUBLIC SCHOOLS, HEALTH CARE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING WHILE PUTTING WORKERS OVER BILLIONAIRES. FOR DANAHER, THE MISSION BEHIND THE PROTEST IS PERSONAL A FIGHT FOR THE NEXT GENERATION. I CARE ABOUT OUR FUTURE. I CARE ABOUT MY CHILDREN’S FUTURE. I WANT THEM TO HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS THAT I HAD GROWING UP AND WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO LIVE THE BEST LIFE THAT THEY CAN LIVE. AND AS SOME PEOPLE ARE SPENDING THIS LABOR DAY PROTESTING, THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS TOUTING ACHIEVEMENTS WHEN IT COMES TO WORKERS RIGHTS. WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY CAROLINE LEAVITT POSTED A LABOR DAY STATEMENT SAYING, QUOTE, WE FINALLY HAVE A PRESIDENT WHO FIGHTS AND DELIVERS FOR THE AMERICAN WORKER EVERY SINGLE DAY. PRESIDENT TRUMP BELIEVES THAT AMERICAN WORKERS ARE THE HEART AND SOUL OF OUR ECONOMY AND OUR NATIONAL IDENTITY, WHICH IS WHY HE’S CHAMPIONED AN AGENDA THAT PUTS THEM FIRST, ALWAYS AT THE INNER HARBOR. I’
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Updated: 1:06 PM CDT Sep 2, 2025
Editorial Standards ā“˜
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Labor Day protesters across the country demand workers' rights, decry ICE
AP logo
Updated: 1:06 PM CDT Sep 2, 2025
Editorial Standards ā“˜
Protesters took to the streets in multiple U.S. cities on Labor Day to criticize President Donald Trump and demand a living wage for workers.Demonstrations in Chicago and New York were organized by One Fair Wage to draw attention to the struggles laborers face in the U.S., where the federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. Chants of ā€œTrump must go now!ā€ echoed outside the president's former home in New York, while protesters gathered outside a different Trump Tower in Chicago, yelling ā€œNo National Guardā€ and ā€œLock him up!ā€ Large crowds also gathered in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco.In New York, people gathered outside Trump Tower, which has become a magnet for protests and remains a prominent symbol of the president's wealth, even though the president hasn’t lived in the Manhattan skyscraper for years. Demonstrators waved signs and banners calling for an end to what they said is a fascist regime.In Washington, a large crowd gathered with signs saying ā€œStop the ICE invasionā€ and an umbrella painted with ā€œFree D.C. No masked thugs.ā€ Hundreds more gathered at protests along the West Coast to fight for the rights of immigrants and workers.Multiple groups joined together at the protests in Chicago to listen to speeches and lend their voices to the chants.ā€œWe’re here because we’re under attack. We’re here because our core values and our democracy is under attack. We are here because they are threatening to send the military into our streets,ā€ Daniel Biss, the mayor of Evanston, Illinois, told the crowd in Chicago as he urged them to stand up for workers.At one point, a woman got out of a vehicle with Iowa plates in Chicago to shout ā€œLong live Donald Trumpā€ over and over again, resulting in a brief confrontation as the protesters responded with shouts of their own until the woman left a few minutes later.In the crowd, Ziri Marquez said she came out because she’s concerned about overlapping issues in the U.S. and around the world, decrying anti-migrant attitudes in the U.S. and the killings of Palestinians in Gaza.ā€œI think especially, you know, when we’re dealing with low wages and we’re dealing with a stagnant economy, immigrants are largely used as a scapegoat,ā€ said Marquez, 25.Along the West Coast from San Diego up to Seattle, hundreds gathered at rallies to call for a stop to the ā€œbillionaire takeover.ā€Groups supporting federal workers and unions marched in Los Angeles; San Francisco; and Portland, Oregon, in support of workers rights. Rally organizer May Day Strong said on its website that ā€œbillionaires are stealing from working families, destroying our democracy and building private armies to attack our towns and cities.ā€They called on people to take collective action to stop the takeover.Portland protester Lynda Oakley of Beaverton told Oregolive.com that her frustrations with health care, immigration and Social Security inspired her to join the march.ā€œI am done with what’s happening in our country,ā€ she said.King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, who took part in a demonstration at Seattle’s Cascade Playground, told KOMO News that they wanted to send a message of workers above billionaires.ā€œWorkers should be more powerful than the small billionaire class,ā€ she said. Associated Press Writers Michael Sisak contributed to this report from New York, and Martha Bellisle contributed from Seattle.

Protesters took to the streets in multiple U.S. cities on Labor Day to criticize President Donald Trump and demand a living wage for workers.

Demonstrations in Chicago and New York were organized by One Fair Wage to draw attention to the struggles laborers face in the U.S., where the federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour.

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Chants of ā€œTrump must go now!ā€ echoed outside the president's former home in New York, while protesters gathered outside a different Trump Tower in Chicago, yelling ā€œNo National Guardā€ and ā€œLock him up!ā€ Large crowds also gathered in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco.

In New York, people gathered outside Trump Tower, which has become a magnet for protests and remains a prominent symbol of the president's wealth, even though the president hasn’t lived in the Manhattan skyscraper for years. Demonstrators waved signs and banners calling for an end to what they said is a fascist regime.

In Washington, a large crowd gathered with signs saying ā€œStop the ICE invasionā€ and an umbrella painted with ā€œFree D.C. No masked thugs.ā€ Hundreds more gathered at protests along the West Coast to fight for the rights of immigrants and workers.

Multiple groups joined together at the protests in Chicago to listen to speeches and lend their voices to the chants.

ā€œWe’re here because we’re under attack. We’re here because our core values and our democracy is under attack. We are here because they are threatening to send the military into our streets,ā€ Daniel Biss, the mayor of Evanston, Illinois, told the crowd in Chicago as he urged them to stand up for workers.

At one point, a woman got out of a vehicle with Iowa plates in Chicago to shout ā€œLong live Donald Trumpā€ over and over again, resulting in a brief confrontation as the protesters responded with shouts of their own until the woman left a few minutes later.

In the crowd, Ziri Marquez said she came out because she’s concerned about overlapping issues in the U.S. and around the world, decrying anti-migrant attitudes in the U.S. and the killings of Palestinians in Gaza.

ā€œI think especially, you know, when we’re dealing with low wages and we’re dealing with a stagnant economy, immigrants are largely used as a scapegoat,ā€ said Marquez, 25.

Along the West Coast from San Diego up to Seattle, hundreds gathered at rallies to call for a stop to the ā€œbillionaire takeover.ā€

Groups supporting federal workers and unions marched in Los Angeles; San Francisco; and Portland, Oregon, in support of workers rights. Rally organizer May Day Strong said on its website that ā€œbillionaires are stealing from working families, destroying our democracy and building private armies to attack our towns and cities.ā€

They called on people to take collective action to stop the takeover.

Portland protester Lynda Oakley of Beaverton told Oregolive.com that her frustrations with health care, immigration and Social Security inspired her to join the march.

ā€œI am done with what’s happening in our country,ā€ she said.

King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, who took part in a demonstration at Seattle’s Cascade Playground, told KOMO News that they wanted to send a message of workers above billionaires.

ā€œWorkers should be more powerful than the small billionaire class,ā€ she said.

Associated Press Writers Michael Sisak contributed to this report from New York, and Martha Bellisle contributed from Seattle.