On May 4, 1886, a rally was held in Chicago’s Haymarket Square to protest police brutality following the killing of strikers at McCormick Reaper Works. Tens of thousands of workers, including many migrants, were on strike demanding an eight-hour workday. Police attacked the protest, and after a bomb was thrown, four anarchists were hanged by the state. To this day around the world, workers unite, rally, protest, and march on the first of May to demand dignity and fair pay. This year, the fight also confronted the growing threat of autocracy within the US and the harm it is causing to the world.

In Northern California, large marches and rallies were held in San Francisco, San José, and Oakland. A number of contingents participated in the march in San Francisco and staged separate actions, advocating for single-payer healthcare, queer & trans folks, and class war.

There was protest against ICE and on behalf of airport workers at SFO. Twenty-five people were arrested including San Francisco Board President Rafael Mandelman, Supervisor Connie Chan, and California state senator Josh Becker.

Morning actions at the Oakland Airport and General Dynamics in Healdsburg focused on weapons shipments to Israel and the war on Iran. At the Oakland Airport, a coalition of organizations lifted up demands to stop shipping killer cargo through "OAK" to Israel, stop the wars, tax the rich, and abolish ICE. In Healdsburg, where General Dynamics builds guidance systems for the 2000-pound bombs being dropped across the Middle East, a vigil and street theater demanded that the facility shut down and leave Sonoma County. Student-led actions were held throughout the state.

San Francisco: ILWU10 Members on May Day Speak Out at San Francisco Union Hall | San Francisco and Bay Area Celebrate May Day With Rallies and Marches | May Day Rally & March (2pm) | Fight For Single Payer On May Day 2026 At Harry Bridges Plaza (3pm) | On May Day - Stop Fascist War Drive Abroad & Win the War at Home - The Main Enemy is at Home! (3pm) | Class War Contingent @ SF May Day March (4pm) | May Day Party: A Fundraiser for Artists Unite for Palestine and Pal2Eire (5:30pm) | may day! gay day! queer & trans non/workers of the world unite! (7pm) | The ILWU 10 is inviting all workers and unions to march with them on May Day 2026

Oakland: Workers Speak at ILWU6 on US Supported Genocide, War, ICE & Worker Rights | May Day Action at Oakland Airport - Stop Fedex from Shipping Killer Cargo to Israel (9am) | Oakland Sin Fronteras: International Workers’ Day March & Resource Fair (2pm)

Healdsburg: Shut Down the War Economy at General Dynamics (9am)

Palo Alto: On May Day Demonstrators Chant "Stop Shopping" as they March through Stanford Shopping Center | Intn'l Workers Day March Palo Alto (5pm)

San José: May Day in San José Marks 20 Years Since El Gigante | International Worker's Day Rally & March 2026 (2pm)

Watsonville: May Day 2026: Workers Over Billionaires (1pm)

Seaside: ICE Out of CSUMB! Students Rise Up on May Day (1pm)

Santa Cruz: Students Rise Up on May Day: UC Santa Cruz (12pm) | May Day Rally & March (5pm)

See Also: SFSU Students Walk Out Against Faculty Cutbacks and AI Deals with Anthropic: Defend Our School | Workers Memorial Day: Remember the Dead, Fight for the Living! Defend Injured Workers

2025 May Day Coverage: Mayday! Mayday! Our Democracy Under Attack! | Black May Day: SEIU Black Workers/Community at SF General Join Fight Against Racism & Union | May Day protest in Fresno | Celebrating with guitars and music on May Day’s International Workers Day | May Day 2025 in Johannesburg & the Fight Against Anti-Labour Bill & COSATU CEO's

Related Feature: International Workers' Day 2024 Actions Included Urgent Support for the Palestinian People