You know it’s going to be a good protest when people make their own t-shirts for the occasion…
But Mayday in Miami would see a lot more creativity than a couple of homemade boycott t-shirts (which, again, were nice, don’t get us wrong…). For example, these guys painted a beautiful sign at home and spared no effort in finding the perfect place to display it!
And their effort was received with appropriate cheer by the crowd gathered below for the protest…
… which was a fine, big, bustling crowd, especially for a Thursday afternoon action!
The protest was scheduled for downtown Miami rush hour, and with all the signs,…
… and energy, the protesters caught the attention of thousands of people passing through the busy intersection.
More than a few stopped to learn more about the boycott…
Including people passing by on foot, a number of whom stopped and joined the protest after learning of the sweatshop conditions in Florida’s tomato fields.
The street reaction was strongly positive, showing that labor solidarity is not dead in this country…
Even school children got into the act.
The energy from the street kept the protesters going for hours,…
… as did a top-notch rhythm section.
By the third hour, however, the protesters began to flag a bit…
… not their spirits, but their bodies, a bit…
When they got a much-needed lift, so to speak, by the arrival of a fine delegation of friends from LIFFT (Low Income Families Fighting Together) and the Miami Workers Center, long-time allies in the fight for social and economic justice in South Florida.
This sign says it all…
As does this one. In fact, this sign might just beat out all the t-shirts and banner drops on this day of powerful messages. Peace, as in the presence of justice. Peace, as in a life free of hunger. Peace, as in fair-food that respects human rights, rather than fast-food that exploits human beings.
The action wound down with some rousing speeches, including allies from South Florida Jobs with Justice…
… and UNITE, representing workers in the Point Blank campaign…
And the day ended, appropriately, with the reading of a poem for Mayday written by Langston Hughes. The poem ends: “Life is everywhere. Mayday, Mayday, Mayday, when the earth is new. Arise, grow strong, take power, the forces of the earth are yours from this hour!” Happy Mayday, everyone.
