{"id":47696,"date":"2026-04-13T21:44:06","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T04:44:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=47696"},"modified":"2026-04-13T21:45:55","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T04:45:55","slug":"incorporate-armbands-in-the-may-day-strike-a-lesson-from-the-past","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2026\/04\/13\/incorporate-armbands-in-the-may-day-strike-a-lesson-from-the-past\/","title":{"rendered":"Incorporate Armbands in the May Day Strike: A Lesson from the Past"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Students<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

(Original Caption) 3\/04\/1968-Des Moines, Iowa: Mary Beth Tinker and her brother, John, display two black armbands, the objects of the US Supreme Court\u2019s agreement March 4th to hear arguments on how far public schools may go in limiting the wearing of political symbols. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Photy by Getty Images)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the goal of the movement is to engage people as broadly as possible, as well as to demonstrate power, then the armbands can offer additional options and bring the day of protests into more places.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Paul Rogat Loeb<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apr 12, 2026 Common Dreams<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Major unions<\/a> like the National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers, and citizen groups like Indivisible and Public Citizen<\/a>, are calling for a national May Day strike<\/u><\/a>. It\u2019s a powerful idea, building off of a Minnesota day<\/u><\/a> this past January where people didn\u2019t go to work or school, didn\u2019t shop, and didn\u2019t otherwise participate in ordinary activities. The Minnesota day was spearheaded by major unions<\/u><\/a>, 700 local businesses closed in solidarity<\/u><\/a>, and 75,000-100,000 people marched in the streets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the national day, I\u2019d suggest adding one more element: incorporating armbands, like black armbands, so people who are participating can make clear their sympathies. And those who can\u2019t take off from work or school, or who are retired, so have no jobs to leave, can show support as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The armband idea comes from the October 15, 1969 Vietnam Moratorium<\/u><\/a>. They didn\u2019t call it a strike, but it was a similar day of marches, walkouts, teach-ins, and other activities that gave as many ways as possible to participate. Two million participated in the day\u2019s marches, but far more in other activities. New York City\u2019s Council endorsed it. Milwaukee held a funeral procession. Small towns rang church bells to commemorate the dead. The Moratorium took place while President Richard Nixon<\/a> was threatening North Vietnam<\/a> with nuclear weapons<\/a>, and although Nixon said at the time the protests<\/a> made no difference to him, he later revealed that the breadth of support led him to back off from the threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was in high school in Los Angeles. I wore my black armband to school and my after-school job at a drugstore. My manager told me to take it off. I resisted as politely as I could. As I recall, he finally backed down. Another friend wore his armband at his high school in a mill town north of Seattle. In both cases, the armbands got people talking and thinking. They gave an additional way to participate for those who couldn\u2019t join the walkouts. They reinforced anti-war solidarity<\/a>. US soldiers in Vietnam even wore armbands<\/u><\/a> as a way of joining the protests, following a full-page New York Times<\/a> ad signed by 1,366 active service members<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So why not include a call for armbands as part of the May Day strike? It\u2019s true that some people might use them as a substitute for visibly leaving jobs or schools. But if the goal of the movement is to engage people as broadly as possible, as well as to demonstrate power, then the armbands can offer additional options and bring the day of protests into more places. They\u2019re an alternative for retired people who don\u2019t have jobs to walk out of. They\u2019re one more antidote to powerlessness, allowing people to participate step by step. It seems important to add them as part of the day\u2019s organizing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n