It’s May Day, and rallies, marches, and demonstrations in support of workers and immigrants rights are happening all around the Bay Area. KALW’s Anna Casalme went out earlier this week to ask people what they stand for.
May 1 is International Worker’s Day, an annual and worldwide celebration of worker’s rights and worker’s power.
At the Transamerica Redwood Park in Downtown San Francisco, KALW asked folks what issues they care about.
Hanna Schulteis-Gerry is a therapist and actor who grew up in the Bay Area. She stands for a lot of things.
"Comprehensive healthcare for all. Ah, not putting kids and families in cages. Uh, gun control so kids are safe at school. Uh, climate change, ending mass incarceration. Is there more? I’m sure there’s more."
Hanna told me she volunteers with an organization that donates medical care for low-income workers.
"I just want people to thrive. I think it doesn't make sense when, like, people are being smushed. Isn't everyone being smushed? I think so."
Phyllis Strangis was here visiting from Minneapolis. She stands for fairness and equality for all people.
"All people should be respected for all their religious, their sexuality, whatever it may be, as long as they are not hurting other people. That's what the USA is all, should be, all about."
Ken Morrison, who was relaxing underneath the redwoods, felt similarly.
"I think we are, we're, we are interested in a world that's fairer. That's gentler to everybody that lives here. Really impressive to see the picture of the earth when you, the spacecraft was coming back from orbiting the moon, reminding us again, we're one big blue orb and we're all in this together, so let's act like it."
Today, thousands of people are expected to join protests across the Bay Area in honor of May Day.
