May Day protests against Trump gain steam in Chicago after Pritzker's fiery speech
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Thousands of demonstrators rally in Daley Plaza on April 19. Photo: Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images
Republicans, including Trump administration officials, are denouncing Gov. JB Pritzker for urging Americans to take to the streets in protest of the president.
The big picture: Pritzker riled up New Hampshire Democrats over the weekend ahead of International Workers' Day on Thursday, when tens of thousands of protesters across the U.S. are expected to rally against Trump's "war on working people."
- The speech fueled speculation that Pritzker is considering a run for president in 2028. He also grabbed national headlines during his budget address in February, invoking Nazi Germany while referencing Trump.
What he's saying: "Never before in my life have I called for mass protests, for mobilization, for disruption, but I am now," the governor said in his speech in New Hampshire.
- "These Republicans cannot know a moment of peace."
The other side: Republicans were quick to condemn the governor.
- "This is not ordinary political hyperbole — it looks to legitimize hostility, lawlessness, and violence against millions of law-abiding Americans who simply happen to disagree with him politically," former Cook County GOP chair Sean Morrison said in a statement. "It is the language that triggers violence."
Between the lines: Protests against the Trump administration have built momentum as he faces sinking approval ratings and Americans increasingly witness the ramifications of his policies.
- Thursday's events will include rallies, marches, town halls and other actions against the "billionaire takeover" of the federal government.
By the numbers: In Chicago, the May Day protest, which happens annually to support pro-immigration and labor movements, begins at 11am in Union Park on the near West Side.
- This year, more than 70,000 protesters are expected nationwide, organizers said.
- More than 1,100 protest events are scheduled in nearly 1,000 cities across all 50 states.
State of play: This month's Hands Off! and 50501 protests marked significant, grassroots resistance to the Trump administration and Elon Musk's influence in the federal government.
- The movements have shared motivations and goals: fighting for the protection of immigrants and LGBTQ+ people; protecting Social Security and other safety net programs; retaining federal funding for public education; and upending government corruption.