BOSTON — Fresh off the "No Kings" rally that drew an estimated 180,000 to Boston Common in March, the city's activist class is gearing up for another round. Today is May Day, and the plan is ambitious: a morning rally in East Boston, an afternoon march to Boston Common, and a nationwide call to skip work, skip school, and skip shopping.
The enemy, as always, is billionaires.
The rally kicks off at East Boston Memorial Park in the morning before moving to the Parkman Bandstand on Boston Common from 4:30 to 6:30 PM. Organizers — a coalition that includes the Boston Teachers Union, Massachusetts Peace Action, the Jewish Climate Action Network, and the Massachusetts 50501 Movement — are billing it as a "day of action" under the banner: "Workers have the power, not the billionaires!"
The demands are familiar: end ICE operations, oppose war spending, tax the ultra-wealthy, and defend immigrant communities. Supporters are being urged to participate in a nationwide economic boycott — "no work, no school, no shopping" — to demonstrate the collective power of the working class.
The Boston Teachers Union is participating, which means at least some teachers are planning to skip school to protest on behalf of the students they won't be teaching that day.
‼️ BOSTON ‼️ May Day is Friday. Join us as we take to the streets to honor the legacy of laborers who came before us and their fight for workers’ rights everywhere. Please join us on May 1 at 11AM at East Boston Memorial Park for a May Day action with the Coalition of Logan… pic.twitter.com/AMjdcRmAMw— 32BJ SEIU /// #BuildingJustice 🧹✊🏽 (@32BJSEIU) April 29, 2026
MASSDAILYNEWS
STAY UPDATED
Get Mass Daily News delivered to your inbox
ADVERTISEMENT · Interested in advertising?
ADVERTISEMENT · Interested in advertising?
May Day Rallies in Boston and Across the Nation: “Workers Have the Power, Not Billionaires!” Trade unions and allied peace and justice organizations will be marking International Workers Day ... (Read more). https://t.co/QbwboEJAVH— Massachusetts Peace Action (MAPA) (@masspeaceaction) April 28, 2026
From No Kings to May Day
The March 28 "No Kings" rally was the movement's high-water mark in Boston — 180,000 people packed the Common for a protest against the Trump administration, featuring speeches from state leaders and a set from the Dropkick Murphys. Organizers are hoping May Day captures some of that energy.
Whether a Friday afternoon rally about capitalism can match a Saturday protest headlined by a rock band remains to be seen.
ADVERTISEMENT · Interested in advertising?
ADVERTISEMENT · Interested in advertising?
What to expect
The event is part of a broader national May Day mobilization, with organizers claiming protests are planned in cities across the country. In Boston, the rally is expected to draw labor unions, immigration advocates, campus groups, and the usual constellation of progressive organizations that turn out for these things.
Traffic around the Common will likely be affected. The MBTA, for anyone planning to take public transit to a rally about making public transit better, will presumably be running its normal service — for whatever that's worth on a Friday afternoon.
The rally begins at 4:30 PM at Parkman Bandstand. Admission is free. Parking is your problem.
Loading Comments