Hundreds protest unfair wages, ICE during march in Downtown St. Louis for May Day strike 90%
By Lacretia Wimbley0%
5/2/2026, 3:00:00 AM
BS Summary: This article contains 31 faulty reasoning types, including Appeal to Emotion, Negativity Bias, and Appeal to Authority, with Framing Effect as the most egregious example at 14.6% saturation with 126 hits. Analysis detected 1,217 faulty-reasoning hits from 863 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 83.1% and a BS Rank of 90% (2,287 of 21,887 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 89.60% of the article peer group.
Hundreds of people — including those from immigrant advocacy groups, labor unions and other community organizations — gathered for a rally in St.
Louis’ Downtown West neighborhood on Friday for the longstanding International Workers Day.
People holding children and wearing colorful shirts filled the yard at Aloe Plaza near City Hall.
Many held signs that read “The people have the power,” and “If you are not outraged, you are not paying attention.”
Songs and chants in unison filled the air as protesters marched from the plaza at the intersection of Market Street and North 18th Street.
The occasion is also known as May Day, and this year participants’ goal was a day of no work, no school and no shopping on May 1.
International Workers Day started during the fight for an eight-hour workday in the late 19th century.
Many took off work as the May Day efforts called for, like Tyrell Banks, who works for a crisis hotline in Jefferson County.
He’s also a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
He said he and his family are feeling the strain of rising gas prices and grocery bills.
He said his mom is a single mother and is still raising his two younger brothers.
“She's (worked) well over 60 hours ever since I was young to feed her kids.
And it sucks that with less kids, she's still having to pay the same amount because the grocery prices keep going up,” Banks said.
“I mean, she's paying an arm and leg every single time she goes to the grocery store to keep my younger siblings fed.”
Others merely observed the rally from afar and weren’t affiliated with any organization.
Joseph Melchionna said he works for Closed Loop Recycling in St.
Louis’ Cheltenham neighborhood and couldn’t afford to take off work.
“We're down drivers,” Melchionna said.
“We've been downsizing at my company lately.
So there’s more of a strain within the workplace to basically not be let go.”
Melchionna said he’s been trying to get more into local politics lately.
He said he recognizes that people who aren’t as into politics might be put off by the names of socialist groups.
Still, he said it’s good to see people come out for such events.
“I feel like when they hear certain terms, like socialism, communism, anarchism, they don't know how to approach it,” Melchionna said.
“They may not understand.”
Gabby Love, a member of Service Employees International Union, which represents healthcare workers in Missouri, Illinois, Kansas and Indiana.
She said the union is fighting for more staff, fair wages and adequate healthcare.
“Sometimes (Certified Nursing Assistants) could have 20 to 25 patients in a nursing home, and it's just way too many for one person,” Love said.
“Residents are paying for quality care, and that's something that they deserve.
Without the correct staffing (these facilities are) failing them.”
Former U.S.
Rep.
Cori Bush joined protesters and called on local and state-level politicians to “stand up to Donald Trump.”
She also called on the city to provide greater investment in St.
Louis’ north side after last year’s May 16 tornado displaced hundreds from their homes.
She was joined by Hasan Piker, a prominent social media streamer based in Los Angeles known for his left-wing political commentary.
“We're saying fully fund the north side,” Bush said.
“We don't want a big box data center in our community.”
Members of the Missouri Workers Center co-hosted the rally on Friday, as did members in Kansas City and other parts of the state.
Demands from groups in both St.
Louis and Kansas City included putting an end to the increased presence of ICE or U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, fighting back against data center projects, and ensuring people of color have more power in governmental decisions about jobs and fair pay.
Other participating groups in St.
Louis included the St.
Louis Democratic Socialists of America, ArchCity Defenders, as well as student groups and abortion-rights organizations.
St.
Louis Board of Aldermen President Megan Green joined members Daniela Velázquez, Alisha Sonnier, Laura Keys and Rasheen Aldridge this week in calling for the May Day strike.
Some aldermen said they were supporting constituents who are concerned about tornado recovery efforts and the St.
Louis Metropolitan Police budget.
The city’s fiscal board Wednesday approved $220 million for the department — a 4.3% increase in spending from the city’s general fund.
The Missouri Workers Center is calling for a long-term boycott of Starbucks, Amazon and Target for anti-labor business practices.
The center also suggests residents boycott Kaldi’s Coffee sold in grocery stores and the Kaldi’s location at Bauer Hall on the Washington University campus, until workers win a fair contract.
Organizers have also called out Amazon, Target, Enterprise Car Sales and the St.
Louis Police Board of Commissioners for alleged ties to ICE.
Enterprise has yet to comment on any ties to ICE.
The National Catholic Reporter reported in October that Enterprise Car Sales had two contracts with the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security, but neither involved ICE.
Protesters ended the rally just before 7:30 p.m.
Friday.
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