Letter to the Editor - May Day

Decorah Vikings win, City Council votes, New Referenda on the ballot — we're the one telling Decorah's story. Donate now. Dear Editor, Throughout the world on May 1, communities come together to celebrate May Day or International Workers' Day. Despite it not being an official holiday in the United States, its origins begin right here in the Midwest. In 1886, workers across the United States united around the demand: eight hours work, eight hours rest, and eight hours for what we will. At the time, bosses worked people up to fourteen hours a day for six to seven days a week. Workers knew that only collective action could help them fight back, so when a call went out for a mass strike on May 1st, over half a million workers, or one percent of the U.S. population, responded. In Chicago alone, over 30,000 workers hit the streets. In May 1886, police in Chicago shot striking workers, leading activists to organize a protest in the city's Haymarket Square. As the rally was ending, police began to confront the protesters again when, suddenly, an unknown person threw a dynamite bomb at the police, leading to the police opening fire into the crowd, killing workers and wounding hundreds more. Eight labor organizers were charged with the bombing, even though many of them were not even at the rally that day. Five were unjustly executed, sparking protests demanding justice across the world. In 1893, Illinois Governor John Peter Altgeld was forced to admit it was a frame-up. He pardoned the surviving prisoners and declared the trial a miscarriage of justice. Before his execution, August Spies declared: "If you think that by hanging us, you can stamp out the labor movement — the movement from which the downtrodden millions, the millions who live and toil in want and misery — if this is your opinion, then hang us. Here you will tread upon a spark, but there, and there, and behind you, and in front of you, and everywhere, flames will blaze up. It is a subterranean fire. You cannot put it out." For decades, large May Day protests were rare in the United States. Then, in 2006, Wisconsin Senator Sensenbrenner pushed legislation to criminalize millions of undocumented immigrants. The response was one of the largest mobilizations in American history. Around 3.5 to 5 million people took to the streets across the country. This historic day has been called "A Day Without Immigrants" as Chicanos, Mexicanos, Latinos, and immigrants refused to go to work, send their kids to school, or spend money. The mega-marches in cities across the United States highlighted the vital role that immigrants play in our country and invoked the spirit of the Haymarket Affair 120 years later. Today, immigrants and workers continue to face coordinated attacks from the billionaires and their politicians. But more people have taken to the streets this year than perhaps ever before. Our movement is getting bigger, bolder, and harder for those in power to ignore. This May 1, there is another national call that echoes its history in 1886 and 2006: no work, no school, no shopping. This May Day, I encourage you not to just remember our history, but to take up the call and be a part of history. Decorah Community for Immigrant Rights (DCIR), Iowa 50501 Coalition, and Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) are joining forces to celebrate May Day in Decorah. We hope you'll join us for all of it, or part of it: 5 p.m — Protest at Water Street Park6 p.m. — Community Soccer Game at Will Baker Park6:30 p.m. — Grilling starts at Will Baker Pavilion7 p.m. — DCIR Social: food, yard games, and conversation about workers' rightsThe spirit of May Day is exactly what DCIR is carrying forward with the Separation Ordinance campaign. Iowa leads the nation in ICE detaining people through local jails, with 85% of ICE arrests running through contact with local law enforcement, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. That means families are currently being torn apart so the federal government can hit its deportation quotas. Passing the Separation Ordinance would establish clear separation between Decorah's police and federal immigration enforcement. Decorah must take a stand and refuse to play a role in the deportation machine. Decorah has been a leader before. This May Day, let's be one again. Joshua Ratel-Khan Decorah, Iowa Fresh stories, delivered! Sign up for the free DecorahNews.com newsletter and stay informed, inspired, and ahead of the curve.