May Day is Not Another No Kings. It’s an Escalation. Here’s What it Will Look Like in Phoenix.
Thousands to Rally in Phoenix for May Day during Nationwide Economic Action
Phoenix, Arizona – Thousands are expected to gather in downtown Phoenix on May 1st to increase visibility around a nationwide economic disruption. No Kings on March 28 brought together over 8 million people nationwide from various backgrounds to say no to the unconstitutional, cruel, and authoritarian actions of the Trump administration. On May first, organizers seek to continue the momentum.
May Day is not another No Kings. Instead, it encourages people to use the momentum from the mass mobilization to participate in collective economic action. The May Day Coalition is calling for a day with no work, no school, and no shopping, to help those new to the movement get comfortable removing their labor and money from the oppressive system. The current capitalist system not only exploits workers, but it actively forces them to work under unacceptable circumstances, and in bad conditions.
“It was one of those really smoggy days that I would prefer her not to have to work, but we were poor”, said Robert Wilson, a Phoenix DSA member, referring to his mother. “She had gone back to work to afford money so my niece could go to daycare…she had an asthma attack, which turned into a heart attack. Her brain did not get oxygen for 14 minutes when she was in the ambulance…there was a week where they were trying to see if there was any brain function that would return. And then we decided to pull the plug.”
“Capitalism killed my mother in cold blood.”
The current system puts billionaires’ profits over the basic needs of the people. It is hurting our communities, and we are building a movement to fight back.
“May Day 2026 comes at a defining moment for working families who are fighting to keep up with the rising cost of living.” said City of Phoenix Councilwoman Anna Hernandez, “Families are under direct attack from the Trump administration and we are being squeezed from all sides by greedy corporations. Here in Arizona, those pressures are magnified: half of our SNAP recipients have lost their benefits, hospitals face closure due to Medicaid cuts, one in five unhoused people in our state is a child, and our immigrant neighbors have been detained at routine court hearings, undermining due process.”
The May Day Strong Coalition has three core demands for Friday:
- Tax the rich, so families, not billionaires’ fortunes, come first.
- No ICE. No War. End the private army serving unchecked federal power. End the Iran War.
- Hands off our vote. Stop unfair policies aimed at diluting the votes of minorities and working people.
“Our generation is done watching this administration, and the billionaires empowering it, take away our futures,” said Nathan Taylortaft, high school student and co-director of East Valley Unite. “This oppressive system is taking away opportunities for our future, so we are shutting it down on May 1st. We The People are using our economic power in a day without school, work, or shopping, to stop the money machine feeding the Epstein Class. Students play a critical role in shutting down the schools, because if we don’t show up, nothing happens, and that’s the point. Then, we’re flooding the streets to make our message clear: People Over Profit. Peace Over War. People Over Billionaires.”
Larger economic actions will require participation from all parts of society. From students and teachers to labor unions, momentum needs to be built, and May Day is a critical part of building up to something bigger. Protests, rallies, and marches bring those people into the movement, which is why May Day events will be held across the country.
In Phoenix, a rally starting at 5pm will be held in Margaret T. Hance Park, which will be followed by a march through downtown about 2.1 miles in length, with speakers along the way. The march will finish back at Hance Park with a closing rally.
For more details on May Day Phoenix, go here. For a map of events nationwide, go here.