Immigrant advocates and labor activists joined thousands of other demonstrators across the country Monday to protest President Trump’s pledged crackdown on illegal immigration.
Strikes, marches and rallies were held from coast to coast. Demonstrators in Chicago chanted for Mr. Trump to leave office, teachers picketed outside schools in Philadelphia, and protesters in Los Angeles waved signs reading “Love not hate.”
In D.C., Maryland and Virginia, more than 200 businesses closed Monday as many immigrants skipped work, school and shopping for the day to underscore their contribution to the U.S. economy, said Maria Fernanda Durand, communications manager for the immigrant rights groups CASA and CASA in Action.
Demonstrations on May Day, celebrated as International Workers’ Day, featured similar activity, with protesters from the Philippines to Paris demanding better working conditions. But the focus in the U.S. was on Mr. Trump and his policies.
“Immigrants strengthen our economy by creating millions of jobs every year, running almost a fifth of the small businesses across America, including myself,” said Angie Fetherston, CEO of Drink Company, which closed all four of its D.C.-area bars on Monday.
Thousands of people marched from Dupont Circle to the White House on Monday afternoon, led by members of CASA in Action and the D.C. chapter of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the country’s largest public service workers union.
Organizers of the movement, called “Rise Up,” led similar demonstrations in New York, Chicago, Seattle and Los Angeles, according to The Associated Press. Dozens more were planned in smaller cities from Little Rock, Arkansas, to Erie, Pennsylvania.
“Standing up for the rights of workers, whether they be immigrants, the poor, and the disadvantaged has never been easy but, especially in these times, when our values are under attack, stepping forward is absolutely necessary,” Gustavo Torres, executive director of CASA, said in a statement.
In New York City several immigrants rights organizations rallied in Foley Square, where union leaders, activists and elected officials spoke. At least 200 people participated in a demonstration at Washington Square Park, according to New York TV station WNBC.
In Portland, Oregon, the rally became a full-scale riot, as anarchists destroyed a police car and attacked officers, smashed numerous windows and property, and started fires in the streets. Police told people to leave the area, and at least three people were arrested.
Some lawmakers in Washington took up the cause: Together with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, a group of Senate and House Democrats held an event at the U.S. Capitol to “stand in support of America’s immigrants.”
Backers of Mr. Trump’s immigration policies argue that unchecked immigration harms lower-income American workers and poses legal and security problems in communities across the country.
On Friday Mr. Trump issued a statement declaring May 1 “Loyalty Day” to “recognize and reaffirm our allegiance to the principles” upon which America was built.
The “Rise Up” movement is the second major nationwide immigrant strike since Mr. Trump’s inauguration. In February thousands took part in a social media-organized “Day Without Immigrants” strike that shuttered dozens of restaurants, schools and other establishments around the District.
• This article is based in part on wire service reports.
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