‘We deserve more’

A relaxed, almost picnic-like atmosphere — cool weather, free food and the steady rhythm of improvised drums — set the scene at last week’s May Day rally in downtown St. Louis. 

But the issues drawing hundreds of people to Aloe Plaza were anything but light, spanning labor rights, rising costs, North City investment, data center development and national political tensions.

Free food circulated through the crowd. Young people with upturned red buckets roped around their necks drummed in unison. A little girl sat upon an adult’s shoulders holding a sign that read, “We want pizza, not ICE!” 

Another sign declared, “Immigrant’s rights are Worker’s rights,” while others warned President Donald Trump to “Keep your hands off our unions.” Dozens wore red T-shirts emblazoned with the words, “Power to the People” or “Workers not Billionaires.”

The Friday event, part of an annual global observance of International Workers’ Day, blended traditional labor demands with local concerns.

“I’m here in support of the working class. We’re being mistreated, mishandled,” said a woman who identified herself as “a good, strong health care worker” named Wanda. “We need better wages. Prices at the store and at gas stations are sky-high. They’re cutting food stamps and other programs. How do they expect us to live?”

Speakers urged city officials to invest less in large-scale projects and more in neighborhoods, particularly in North St. Louis, where last year’s May 16 tornado destroyed homes and displaced residents.

Several participants also questioned the expansion of data centers, arguing such projects would do little to benefit nearby communities.

National politics were never far from the conversation. Signs and chants referenced immigration enforcement, the economy under the Trump administration and U.S. involvement abroad. Prominent progressive social media commentator Hasan Piker criticized both Republicans and Democrats, drawing loud reactions from the crowd. 

“Republicans are monsters … who traffic in hatred,” Piker said. “But we’re no longer going to vote for do-nothing Democrats either.”

A man who identified himself as Trenton from Illinois, said he attended simply because he is a worker.

“We deserve more from our country, from our representatives,” he said. “We have control, and we need to show that. So, I’m here to support our fellow workers.”

International Workers’ Day has its roots in the late 19th-century fight for an eight-hour workday. Groups including the Missouri Workers Center, Action St. Louis, ArchCity Defenders and the St. Louis chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America joined student groups and abortion-rights organizations in bringing people together.

Terry Coats with Action St. Louis held a placard reading “Hands Off STL,” which she said referred to concerns about a state-appointed police board and efforts to increase police salaries at taxpayers’ expense.

“It’s May Day and we’re not doing anything today in support of capitalism,” Coats said. “No shopping — and hopefully the kids took off from school and came down here to get a little political education about what’s going on in our country.”

Armond Walker with the Party for Socialism and Liberation said he attended as both a citizen and a worker, hoping to create space for people to express their frustration.

He said the people “who are actually doing all the work” — those who “make sure the buses run, that people get fed, that the schools are open, that the Amazon packages get delivered” —  deserve better pay.

“They can’t afford health care, they can’t afford their groceries or their rent,” Walker said.

As the drumbeats and chants grew louder, Walker turned to scan the crowd, pointing to both its size and the range of concerns represented.

“I’m seeing more and more people getting involved in this kind of gathering,” he said. “And it gives me hope.”

Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.

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