May Day: Get Your Rally On

By Amy Hart in News on Apr 29, 2006 5:52PM

Last month the March for Immigrant Rights brought around 100,000 people downtown to protest the unfair treatment of illegal immigrants. Officials are expecting at least three times as many people at this Monday's march due to growing support and the participation of a wider range of immigrant groups, which is making conservatives cringe.

Chicago's May Day march will be one of 102 similar demonstrations being held across the country. Immigrants are being encouraged to show their solidarity by boycotting work on Monday and showing Americans what "A Day Without an Immigrant" would be like, and many employers are giving their workers the day off to attend the rally. Marchers will leave at noon from Union Park and march to Grant Park for a rally, so be prepared for street closures and transportation hiccups.

After showing your solidarity with immigrants on Monday, you can head over to Federal Plaza at 4:30 and rally to stop genocide in Sudan's Darfur region. An estimated 400,000 black Sudanese have already been killed by the Sudanese government and Arab militia, and the situation continues to worsen. Governments from all over the world have been slow to respond to the crisis, but it is hoped that growing awareness and the involvement of heavy hitters such as George Clooney and his choice for president, Senator Barack Obama, will help spur action

Chicagoist regrets that we will not be able to attend either rally due to work, but we encourage you to get out there and show your support for these important causes. If you go, please share your experiences in the comments.