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Boston Globe
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Trump policies draw anger at May Day protests across the US
'I think the two coexist,' Olsen said, 'and this huge turnout shows that.' A separate effort, which organizers billed as a National Law Day of Action, brought legal professionals to the Supreme Court in Washington and federal courthouses across the country on Thursday to push for judicial independence and oppose efforts to intimidate law firms. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The lawyers demonstrating at the Supreme Court reaffirmed their oaths to serve with integrity and to protect the rule of law — principles that do not appear to interest Trump, said Fabiola Gretzinger, 28. 'He thinks he's above it,' she said. Advertisement Police closed streets for the crowds in major cities including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Washington. But protesters also rallied in small communities that voted overwhelmingly for Trump, including places like Norman, Okla.; Sauk City, Wisc.; and Hendersonville, N.C. Groups held signs in front of municipal buildings and public schools, and some demonstrators wore red to indicate support for public education. Advertisement A rally in downtown Los Angeles began early Thursday and focused largely on migrant rights. Jose Servín, 31, an organizer for a statewide coalition of advocacy groups who helped set up for the rally, held a sign that read, 'Come for one of us, come for all of us.' Servin immigrated to the United States as a child, he said. 'I found a place here where I can succeed, where I can thrive, where I can plant roots — I'm a father now — and I'm going to fight like hell to protect that,' he said. The protests — more than 1,000 were expected across the country — were spearheaded to coincide with traditional May Day labor rallies by 50501, a loose coalition of grassroots activist groups, as well as by labor, nonprofit, and civil rights organizations. May Day commemorates the struggle for an eight-hour workday, won by labor organizers in 1886 only after clashes in Chicago resulted in the deadly Haymarket Riot. Labor groups made up a significant portion of demonstrators at the rally in Chicago on Thursday, though pro-Palestinian activists and anti-Trump demonstrators swelled their ranks, and many saw their concerns as overlapping. 'He's tearing apart our Constitution,' said Bill Hincks, 40, a union official from the Chicago suburb of Oak Forest, who faulted Trump for firing officials at agencies that regulate workplace safety, including at the National Labor Relations Board. The Trump administration has sought to quell dissent in corporate America, universities, government agencies, and the news media. But in recent weeks, demonstrations opposing the president's agenda, as well as resistance from some of the institutions targeted by Trump, have increased in size and frequency. Advertisement Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois, a Democrat who first ran for office in 2018 because of his revulsion to Trump's first term, called for an even larger outcry during a speech on Sunday in New Hampshire. 'It's time to fight everywhere, and all at once,' he said. This article originally appeared in
New York Times
01-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Trump Policies Draw Outrage at May Day Protests Across the U.S.
Annual May Day rallies in cities across the country swelled with thousands of anti-Trump demonstrators on Thursday, as outcry continued to grow over the president's agenda and expansion of executive power. Protesters denounced the administration's effort to roll back workers' rights — a particular sore spot on a day dedicated to celebrating organized labor — as well as plans to cut education funding and carry out mass deportations. 'We're here to support our workers and our union,' said Jena Olsen, 63, who has been a flight attendant for 39 years, at a large rally in Chicago's Union Park. But demonstrators said they were also angry about the 'threat to democracy' posed by President Trump. 'I think the two coexist,' Ms. Olsen said, 'and this huge turnout shows that.' A separate effort, which organizers billed as a National Law Day of Action, brought legal professionals to the Supreme Court in Washington and federal courthouses across the country on Thursday to push for judicial independence and oppose efforts to intimidate law firms. The lawyers demonstrating at the Supreme Court reaffirmed their oaths to serve with integrity and to protect the rule of law — principles that do not appear to interest Mr. Trump, said Fabiola Gretzinger, 28. 'He thinks he's above it,' she said. Police closed streets for the crowds in major cities including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Washington. But protesters also rallied in small communities that voted overwhelmingly for President Trump, including places like Norman, Okla., Sauk City, Wis., and Hendersonville, N.C. Groups held signs in front of municipal buildings and public schools, and some demonstrators wore red to indicate support for public education. A rally in downtown Los Angeles began early on Thursday and focused largely on migrant rights. Jose Servín, 31, an organizer for a statewide coalition of advocacy groups who helped set up for the rally, held a sign that read, 'Come for one of us, come for all of us.' Mr. Servin immigrated to the United States as a child, he said. 'I found a place here where I can succeed, where I can thrive, where I can plant roots — I'm a father now — and I'm going to fight like hell to protect that,' he said. The protests — more than 1,000 were expected across the country — were spearheaded to coincide with traditional May Day labor rallies by 50501, a loose coalition of grass-roots activist groups, as well as by labor, nonprofit and civil rights organizations. May Day commemorates the struggle for an eight-hour workday, won by labor organizers in 1886 only after clashes in Chicago resulted in the deadly Haymarket Riot. Labor groups made up a significant portion of demonstrators at the rally in Chicago on Thursday, though pro-Palestinian activists and anti-Trump demonstrators swelled their ranks, and many saw their concerns as overlapping. 'He's tearing apart our Constitution,' said Bill Hincks, 40, a union official from the Chicago suburb of Oak Forest, who faulted Mr. Trump for firing officials at agencies that regulate workplace safety, including at the National Labor Relations Board. The Trump administration has sought to quell dissent in corporate America, universities, government agencies and the news media. But in recent weeks, demonstrations opposing the president's agenda, as well as resistance from some of the institutions targeted by Mr. Trump, have increased in size and frequency. Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois, a Democrat who first ran for office in 2018 because of his revulsion to Mr. Trump's first term, called for an even larger outcry during a speech on Sunday in New Hampshire. 'It's time to fight everywhere, and all at once,' he said.
New York Times
01-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
In Suits and Ties, Lawyers Protest Trump's Attacks on the Legal System
The crowd of protesters that packed Foley Square in downtown Manhattan on Thursday was as raucous as any demonstration in a politically vociferous city. It was, however, decidedly more wonky and dapper. About 1,500 demonstrators, many of them lawyers sporting business attire, jammed the plaza outside Manhattan's federal courthouse as part of the National Law Day of Action, chanting in favor of the rule of law and hoisting pocket Constitutions to the sky. It was one of around 50 similar actions around the nation on Thursday, led by lawyers who say President Trump is threatening the foundation of America's legal system. 'The rule of law protects us all. Without it we will surely fall,' the crowd chanted. In his second term, Mr. Trump has aimed to hobble elite law firms, threatened to impeach judges and ignored their orders. For many inside the legal profession, his actions have presented an unpalatable choice between compromising their values by staying silent and facing professional risk by speaking out. Now, a growing number of lawyers see a moral imperative in choosing the latter option. They believe Mr. Trump's crusade is threatening not just their livelihoods, but a system to which they have devoted their lives. On Thursday, thousands of lawyers were expected to protest at federal courthouses in New York, Chicago and San Francisco — roughly 50 cities in all. In interviews, attendees of the event in New York pointed to a range of actions, including Mr. Trump's targeting of law firms he viewed as hostile, wrongful deportations and the arrest of a Wisconsin judge on charges of obstructing immigration enforcement. 'I'm horrified by what's going on,' said James Kainen, 71, a law professor at Fordham University and a former assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York. 'We had ethics. We prosecuted people because they violated the law, not because they angered somebody for some ridiculous reason.' Mr. Kainen held up a sign that said 'I want Perkins Coie as my law firm,' referring to a firm that Mr. Trump has targeted with an executive order. Organizers of the Foley Square rally instructed attendees to dress 'as if they were appearing in court,' and encouraged them to carry pocket Constitutions. 'We want people to see that we treat this issue with utmost respect,' said Ron Minkoff, a criminal defense lawyer and an organizer. 'This is like the courtroom to us.' It was not exactly a mass street protest. The jurists voiced their disapproval by ceremonially reaffirming their oath to upholding the rule of law. But the fact that lawyers are not famous for participating in demonstrations, organizers said, underscored the seriousness of the moment. 'If lawyers are taking to the streets, it means something very serious and bad is happening,' said Traci Feit Love, the executive director of Lawyers for Good Government, a nonprofit that helped coordinate the events. The administration's wrongful deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia and Mr. Trump's threats against judges were motivations for the day of action, but the president's targeting of elite law firms was a particular focus for some. Mr. Trump has unleashed a flurry of executive orders aimed at crippling firms he says have used the justice system against him. The orders have limited the firms' access to federal buildings and canceled their government contracts. In March, some of those firms started cutting deals, pledging pro bono legal support for Mr. Trump's causes in exchange for relief from his executive actions. Angered by the capitulations, organizations such as the New York County Lawyers Association and the New York Civil Liberties Union started discussing ways to stand up for what they saw as an assault on their profession. 'We're deeply concerned about the response of some of the major law firms,' said Dawn Cardi, a defense lawyer who also helped organize the event in New York. 'It feels a little bit like I imagine it felt in the McCarthy era.' Since the event was first envisioned, a growing number of firms have fought back, calling Mr. Trump's actions unconstitutional. Even the firms that have capitulated have seen internal dissent. Last week, lawyers for Perkins Coie and WilmerHale, both targeted by Mr. Trump, asked the courts to permanently block the orders. Hundreds of firms have signed briefs backing Perkins Coie. Last week, a federal judge stopped Mr. Trump from targeting the firm Susman Godfrey, calling it 'a shocking abuse of power.' J.B. Howard, a counsel in global litigation at Cadwalader, resigned after his firm made a deal with Mr. Trump. In an interview, Mr. Howard, 61, stressed that he was not angry at his firm for its decision. But he said he feared the consequences for his profession, and worried about the example he would set for his son, a law student, if he continued to work for a firm that had capitulated to Mr. Trump. 'I just can't be a practicing lawyer feeling as though I have abandoned a sacred obligation,' Mr. Howard said. On Thursday, he attended a Law Day event in Denver, where he, along with more than 100 lawyers, entered the federal courthouse and retook their oaths. More junior lawyers and law students have been outspoken about their outrage, even as they acknowledge the professional risks. Hope Elizabeth Guzzle, a first-year law student at Fordham who attended the rally in New York, said the Trump administration's attack on legal norms had helped convince her to pursue a career in public interest law, rather than corporate law. 'The one place where there is still concern for norms and fighting back is in the law,' said Ms. Guzzle, 24, who wore courtroom attire and held a sign that said 'Why am I even studying for my Con Law exam?' A group of Georgetown University law students has created a spreadsheet of firms that color-codes them by whether they've capitulated to Mr. Trump, an effort first reported by the site All Rise News. In April, three anonymous law students filed suit against the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, asking a federal court to bar firms from handing over sensitive information about employees to the administration. On Tuesday, more than 1,000 law students filed an amicus brief supporting Susman Godfrey in its fight against Mr. Trump. Sam Haddad, a second-year law student at Yale Law School who signed the brief, said the Trump administration's attack on the rule of law — and how many big firms had cut deals — had given him pause about his career path. 'I now understand that legal professionals can hesitate, or worse, capitulate when the crisis is clear and the need to respond is unambiguous,' Mr. Haddad, who worked at Susman as a fellow last summer, said in an interview. Mr. Howard said that the firms' decisions would cost them in the fullness of time. 'These firms that are capitulating are kind of toxic to young lawyers and the next generation of lawyers,' he said.
CBS News
01-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
May Day rallies, marches against President Trump's polices to be held in Chicago, Evanston
Activists around the world will be rallying on Thursday for May Day. In some countries, it's a public holiday honoring labor, but in the U.S., activists will use the day as a call to action against President Trump's policies. In Chicago, organizers say the rally and march will show unity against attacks on immigrant rights, worker rights, and more. The rally will kick off at 9 a.m. People will first gather for a multi-faith prayer service, followed by speakers at Union Park. Then at noon, demonstrators will march from Union Park to Grant Park. They will then gather at the Petrillo Music Shell for a rally, entertainment, and speakers. There will also be a rally in Evanston led by the grassroots initiative, Indivisible Evanston. They say the rally is to honor working people while protesting President Trump's policies. The rally will go from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Fountain Square near Sherman Avenue and Davis Street. There will also be rallies commemorating National Law Day of Action in more than 40 cities nationwide. Organizers say Chicago lawyers and concerned citizens will gather to defend the rule of law, judicial independence, and legal integrity. The rally will kick off at noon in Federal Plaza. There will also be an attorney oath reaffirmation ceremony, where legal professionals can restate their commitment to the rule of law and the Constitution.
