Thousands of people marked May Day, also known as International Workers Day, with a march and protest Thursday evening across Tucson’s south side.
Like similar marches across the U.S. and world, Trump’s political views was the focus.
Thousands spill onto West 22nd Street, shutting down Tucson rush hour traffic during a May Day march that focused policies in the Trump administration that target immigration and labor.
In Tucson, marchers blocked streets for about two hours, but the protest organized by at least labor and activists groups was peaceful.
Protestors begin to gather Thursday evening along South Tenth Avenue in Tucson outside of Southside Presbyterian Church just before a May Day march across the south side.
In Phoenix, an even larger gathering earlier in the day became tense when a pair of Trump supporters toting Trump flags and “Trump 2028” hats marched through the crowd, confronting members of the crowd, the Arizona Republic reported.
At one point, Alfredo Gutierrez, the 79-year-old former Arizona Senate majority leader and long-time Arizona activist, put his body between the Trump supporters and event attendees. He jumped up and pulled the Trump flag down.
“Rally organizers on microphones urged the public not to engage, saying it would be a peaceful protest,” the Republic said. “Police and rally organizers broke up the crowd after five minutes.”
Gutierrez later told a Republic reporter that the Trump supporters were obviously trying to insult and provoke the attendees and that he was trying to prevent a more severe confrontation during a march that started at the Arizona State Capitol and ended at the Sandra Day O’Connor federal courthouse.
John Booth stands in the parking lot of the Southside Presbyterian Church, near South 10th Avenue and West 22nd Street, prior to the May Day march Thursday evening in Tucson.
Across the U.S. and world, hundreds of thousands of people rallied.
In the United States, demonstrators protested Trump’s targeting of immigrants, federal workers and diversity initiatives.
Global protests largely emphasized Trump’s tariffs, their impact on local jobs and the rise of the far right, according to the Associated Press.
May Day is celebrated globally on May 1.
Its associations with the U.S. labor movement began to mark riots in 1886, where a bomb was detonated during protests in Chicago for better working conditions.
Photos: May Day protest in Tucson draws thousands
Protestors begin to gather along 10th Avenue outside the Southside Presbyterian Church for a National Day of Action march, Tucson, Ariz., May 1, 2025. Thousands took to the streets for a route that wound through Tucson and South Tucson and closed down streets for about two hours. More than 20 groups organized the march to protest the Trump administration and it’s policies.
John Booth stands in the parking lot of the Southside Presbyterian Church with his U.S. flag while waiting for the start of the part of the National Day of Action march, Tucson, Ariz., May 1, 2025. Marches and protests took place across the country and Arizona, speaking out against the Trump administration.
Thousands spill onto 22nd Street, shutting down rush hour traffic as they take part in National Day of Action protests, Tucson, Ariz., May 1, 2025. The march took about two hours and closed 22nd Street, 4th Avenue, 29th Street and 10th Avenue to motor traffic. Units from the Tucson and South Tucson police departments escorted the throng on their route.
A woman, and her sign, marches well ahead of the vanguard of thousands of protestors taking part in the National Day of Action along 29th Street, Tucson, Ariz., May 1, 2025.
A participant holds holds her message on her head while waiting outside the Southside Presbyterian Church for the start of the evening’s National Day of action march, Tucson, Ariz., May 1, 2025.
Hundreds gather along 10th Avenue, waiting for the signal to begin their National Day of Action march, Tucson, Ariz., May 1, 2025. Thousands eventually showed up for the two hour protest.
The thousands of protestors get fired up by a speech as they prepare to march on the National Day of Action, Tucson, Ariz., May 1, 2025. Organized protests took place across the country in opposition to the current political situation.
The head of the thousands of marchers makes it’s way along 29th Street, taking part in tNational Day of Action protests, Tucson, Ariz., May 1, 2025.
A video crew and others on their cell phones get footage of the thousands of marchers returning to the Southside Presbyterian Church at the end of a two hour protest on the National Day of action, Tucson, Ariz., May 1, 2025.
A protestor and her elaborately adorned trike waits with the others for the word to commence their march for the National Day of Action protests, Tucson, Ariz., May 1, 2025.
One of the organizers get the crowd to chant while helping lead thousands in a protest against the Trump administration on the National Day of Action, Tucson, Ariz., May 1, 2025.
