Demonstrators march down Market Street from Civic Center to ICE field office.
Jason Winshell/San Francisco Public Press
05.02.2025 (sfpublicpress.org)
| by JASON WINSHELL |
Thousands of people turned out for a protest rally at San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza and other locations on May 1 — also known as May Day and International Workers’ Day — to express outrage against Trump administration policies targeting immigrants, federal workers, labor unions, the social safety net, environmental policy, education and free speech.
The rallies on Thursday in San Francisco were among more than 1,000 demonstrations staged nationwide that coordinated with the grassroots 50501 movement, which billed the protests as a fight against a “billionaire takeover.”
The 4 p.m. Civic Center protest drew crowds from other May Day rallies that had taken place around the city earlier in the day.
In San Francisco’s Mission District, May Day SF, a youth-led social justice movement, led hundreds of people in a march from the BART station plaza at 24th Street down Mission Street and then on to City Hall. During the march, organizers and community members addressed crowds from the back of a flatbed truck at the 24th Street and 16th Street BART plazas.
A contingent from the Service Employees International Union Local 2015, the largest labor union in California, joined the Civic Center event to advocate for protecting public services and Medicaid. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Kim Evon, the local union’s executive vice president, said the labor-supported rally offered an opportunity for people frustrated with the current state of politics to join together.
Spirited crowds at the Civic Center displayed homemade signs bearing messages such as “Courage is Contagious,” “Free Kilmar” and “Immigration Built This Nation.” After listening to rousing speeches, rallygoers proceeded down Market Street through the Financial District to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office at 630 Sansome St.
The marchers advanced during prime commute hours, leaving Muni buses and F-line street cars stalled, some filled with bewildered tourists gawking at the throngs of people surging around them.
The rally and the march unfolded peacefully. Police and rally volunteers sporting orange vests blocked traffic to ensure the safety of marchers, bystanders and drivers.
Get our email newsletter
Don’t miss out on our newest articles, episodes and events!
RECENT NEWS
- Esta cuidadora es una defensora inmigrante con discapacidades. Bajo el mandato de Trump, su futuro es incierto.
- This Caregiver Is an Immigrant and Disabled Advocate. Under Trump, Her Future Is Uncertain.
- Racial Disparities in Toxic Cleanup Times Especially Pronounced in SF, Data Shows
- Eviction Rates in SF Soar as Legal Aid Faces Deep Funding Cuts
- Legal Battle for National Ruling Continues in Student Visa Case Despite Sudden Reinstatements
- Opposite of Efficiency
RECENT PODCASTS
- ►Decorative play icon links to post: Visible Progress or Political Theater? Factions Disagree on How to Clean Up Street Conditions“Civic” Podcast | Apr 25 2025 | 8:45 amVisible Progress or Political Theater? Factions Disagree on How to Clean Up Street Conditions
- ►Decorative play icon links to post: Thousands Across Bay Area Mobilize Against Mass DeportationImmigration | Mar 11 2025 | 2:39 pmThousands Across Bay Area Mobilize Against Mass Deportation
- ►Decorative play icon links to post: Revisiting Conversations With Shaken Ukrainian Diaspora in SF“Civic” Podcast | Feb 28 2025 | 1:24 pmRevisiting Conversations With Shaken Ukrainian Diaspora in SF
ABOUT JASON WINSHELL
Jason Winshell is a photojournalist. He also reports and does data analysis. The focus of his art is social documentary photography. In 2010, he was nominated for the SFMOMA SECA award. He has published a book of 45 color photographs about life in San Francisco, <a href=”http://www.jasonwinshell.com/content/galleries/street/index.html”>“Street.”</a>
