On May 1, Northern Nevadans marked International Workers’ Day — or May Day — with a rally outside Reno’s Bruce R. Thompson Federal Building, uniting attorneys, union members, laborers, and human rights groups in protest against President Donald Trump’s policies.

The 5:30 p.m. demonstration on Virginia Street was one of over 1,100 protests across the U.S. tied to the National Day of Action. In Northern Nevada, the Reno protest was part of a broader series of anti-Trump and anti-Gov. Joe Lombardo demonstrations that have unfolded over several weeks.

The event was co-hosted by the Northern Nevada Central Labor Council, Indivisible Northern Nevada, and 50501 NNV. Organizers voiced frustration with what they described as the president’s “attacks on workers, unions, immigrants, and the judicial system.”

Speakers included Assemblywoman Erica Roth; Ross Kinson, president of the Northern Nevada Central Labor Council; and Rob Benner, secretary-treasurer of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Northern Nevada.

The gathering highlighted the historical roots of International Workers’ Day, which commemorates the 1886 labor movement in Chicago when more than 340,000 workers walked off the job to demand an eight-hour workday.

On May 3, 1886, a union-led action at the McCormick Harvesting Machine Co. turned violent when police clashed with strikers, leaving at least six people dead, according to the American Postal Workers Union. The next day, a peaceful protest in Chicago’s Haymarket Square also turned deadly when police opened fire, killing several civilians and injuring dozens more.

In 1889, labor activists declared May 1 International Workers’ Day — also known as May Day — to honor the Haymarket Affair and continue advocating for workers’ rights. Although the U.S. does not recognize it as a federal holiday, the date is officially celebrated in many countries across South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia.

Beyond the protest, organizers emphasized that the rally was not only a rejection of political leadership but also a call to action for labor solidarity, immigration justice, and the defense of democratic institutions.

Originally reported by RGJ.