Just days after President Donald Trump marked 100 days back in office, tens of thousands of people are expected to gather across the nation Thursday to protest a wide-ranging number of issues related to the Trump administration and its policies regarding things like immigration, federal job cuts, and more.
The political activist organization 50501 — which stands for 50 protests, 50 states, 1 movement — is helping coordinate the May 1 rallies across the U.S. in what it describes as a "national day of solidarity" to "stop the billionaire takeover." May 1, or May Day, also marks International Workers' Day.
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"Trump and his billionaire profiteers are trying to create a race to the bottom — on wages, on benefits, on dignity itself," 50501 wrote on its website. "This May Day we are fighting back. We are demanding a country that puts our families over their fortunes—public schools over private profits, healthcare over hedge funds, prosperity over free market politics."
"They're defunding our schools, privatizing public services, attacking unions, and targeting immigrant families with fear and violence," the group added. "Working people build this nation and we know how to take care of each other. We won't back down — we will never stop fighting for our families and the rights and freedoms that propel opportunity and a better life for all Americans. Their time is up."
The inspiration behind the May 1 protests stems from the 1971 May Day demonstrations in Washington, D.C. The days-long protests resulted in more than 12,000 arrests as anti-war activists sought to shut down the federal government and disrupt the Vietnam war effort.
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This year's demonstrations, meanwhile, are also expected to bring awareness to the federal government, with a focus primarily on President Trump's first 100 days in office. According to a recent ABC News / Washington Post / Ipsos poll, just 39% of respondents said they approve of how President Trump is handling his job, the lowest approval rating of any president in the last 80 years.
