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Minneapolis International Workers Day march set for April 29

By staff

March will oppose Trump's agenda; put forward working people’s agenda

Minneapolis, MN – On Friday April 29, at 4:30 p.m., immigrant rights activists, union members, students and others will gather at the intersection of Lake Street and Nicollet Avenue in South Minneapolis to march downtown for immigrant and workers’ rights. They will unite to denounce the racism, xenophobia, immigrant bashing and attacks on worker’s rights that are typified by Donald Trump and other politicians who share his views. In contrast, they will march for a working people’s agenda that unites workers of all races, nationalities, genders and backgrounds to fight for economic and social justice.

This march is part of the annual May Day, or International Workers Day, events in Minneapolis. May Day is celebrated around the world to commemorate the struggle for workers’ rights. The themes of this year’s march are “respect, dignity, justice and equality” for all workers and immigrants.

This is the working people’s agenda of the march: -- Legalization and equality for all -- DAPA for all -- Drivers license for all -- $15 & a union -- No anti-union “right to work” laws -- No wage theft -- Paid sick days for all workers -- No racist police & ICE repression of our communities -- No more militarization of our borders, streets and barrios -- Fair trade not ‘free trade’ -- No destruction of our environment -- Restore the vote

According to Brad Sigal, a member of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), “We can’t sit idly by as presidential candidates like Donald Trump speak of building walls, restricting unions and banning people based on religion or nationality. They want to worsen current policies like mass incarceration and deportation. We oppose this. We say ‘Dump Trump’ and everything he stands for. We will march on April 29 for a united working people’s agenda of economic and social justice for all.”

This march is organized by the 2016 International Workers Day Coalition. It is initiated by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), a grassroots all-volunteer organization fighting for immigrant rights in Minnesota.

The march is endorsed by the following unions and organizations: Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation, AFSCME Council 5, AFSCME Local 34, AFSCME Local 844, AFSCME Local 2822, AFSCME Local 3800, SEIU Healthcare Minnesota, SEIU Local 26, Saint Paul Federation of Teachers, People of Color Union Members (POCUM), Minnesota Young Workers, Anti-War Committee, Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha (CTUL), Chicano(a) Studies Program, St. Cloud State University, Communities United Against Police Brutality (CUAPB), De Leon & Nestor, LLC, Department of Chicano and Latino Studies at the University of Minnesota, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Interfaith Coalition on Immigration (ICOM), La Raza Student Cultural Center, U of MN, MEChA de SCSU, Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), Minnesota Peace Action Coalition, Mujeres en Acción y Poder, National Lawyers Guild – Minnesota Chapter, National Lawyers Guild – U of MN Chapter, National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum – Twin Cities (NAPAWF), Paper Revolution Collective, Presente (St. Olaf College), Students for a Democratic Society (U of MN), Tamales y Bicicletas, Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar, Veterans for Peace Chapter 27, Welfare Rights Committee, Women Against Military Madness, Young Peoples Action Coalition.

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