May Day in Tucson: A tradition since 2006

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SOCIALIST ACTION MAY 2017...5 TUCSON, Ariz.—Hopes and expectations were widespread on the eve of May 1, 2017, that the spirit of 2006 might be revived this year. In 2006, as many as 3 million or more undocumented immigrants and their allies poured into the streets on May Day, and the reaction­ ary Sensenbrenner bill, which would have penalized immigrant supporters as well as immigrants them­ selves, was quickly dropped by the U.S. Congress.

Unfortunately, the hopes and expectations did not become a reality in 2017. A reduced turnout was noted in many parts of the United States—probably due to the failure to mobilize on the part of the offi­ cial labor movement and other forces that have mo­ bilized for May Day in previous years. Another factor may have been exhaustion on the part of many allies who went out into the streets in large numbers just two days earlier, on April 29, for the People’s Climate Justice actions Not to be disregarded also were the intimidation and threats from the Trump administration and its repressive agencies built up by previous administra­ tions, such as the “Department of Homeland Security,” Border Patrol, & ICE (Immigration and Customs En­ forcement).

Here in Tucson, likewise, the turnout was not as large, or was about the same, as in the past few years. According to AZ Media, nearly 300 took part in the spirited march led by Calpolli Tenochtitlán after an introductory speech by Isabel García, chair of the Coalición de Derechos Humanos, and brief comments by representatives of the South Side Workers Center, local Dreamers, and Jobs with Justice.

The march went through the mostly Chicano South Side of Tucson, to Armory Park on the edge of the downtown area. Emceeing the rallies on both ends were Eduardo Quintana, former president of Machinists Local 933, Najima Rainey of Tuc­ son Black Lives Matter, and Sandy Ochoa, for­ merly of SEIU and currently with “Mi Familia Vota,” a voter registration group.

Fred Yamashita, president of the Pima Area Labor Federation—the local AFL-CIO equiva­ lent of a central labor council—greeted all the labor forces present, including SEIU, Teach­ ers, Steelworkers, Machinists, IBEW (electrical workers), IATSE (theater and stage workers), UFCW (food & commercial workers), Team­ sters, & others.

Yamashita explained, “The attacks on labor are growing, and labor too must fight. ... We need to straighten up our own house. You see, it has been reported that 36-40% of union members voted for Donald Trump.”

One speaker whose message aroused strong expres­ sions of solidarity was Linda Robles of the Environ­ mental Justice Working Group, an organization of mainly South Side mothers whose families have been poisoned by chemicals in the groundwater that came from the aircraft and weapons-making industry (pri­ marily Raytheon). Poisoned chemicals also came from the Tucson Airport Authority and the U.S. Air Force at Davis-Monthan air base. Linda Robles called for the government to buy out the homes of families whose water has been poisoned and to pay for their reloca­ tion to a safer place.

In the process of building the May Day March and Rally, a partial gain was won for those who are fed up with capitalism’s two-party Demo-publican shell game. A majority at the planning meetings voted not to have any politicians on the stage. That decision held firm despite attempts to have Democrat Rep. Raul Gri­ jalva appear.

Grijalva voted for the Congressional bill that, under Obama, set up a colonial board, misnamed PROMESA (an unpromising “promise,” which is now ruling with arbitrary authority over Puerto Rico, trying to impose austerity on that island for the benefit of hedge-fund creditors—an attempt being resisted now especially by the youth of Puerto Rico, most prominently at the University in San Juan.

Grijalva supposedly represents the Mexican-Ameri­ can community in southern Arizona. What is needed is solidarity between two communities being victim­ ized by U.S. imperialism—Puerto Ricans and MexicanAmericans.

The Tucson Socialists were central to the successful organizing of this year’s May Day event. n