Trump Vader returning to NYC for Star Wars Day (protests, rallies, & ways to resist)
While splitting his time between the White House and Mar-A-Lago, (and whatever other golf courses) during the first nearly 100 days of his presidency, Donald Trump hasn't found much time to visit Melania and Barron in NYC. That's about to change, though. On May 4, aka Star Wars Day, ("May the fourth be with you!") Trump will make his first return as president to the city. The NY Times reports:
The president will visit the U.S.S. Intrepid, the decommissioned aircraft carrier on the West Side of Manhattan, according to Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary. There he will meet with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of Australia to commemorate the 75th anniversary of a naval battle the countries fought alongside one another during World War II.
In a city where protests have been commonplace since Trump's election and inauguration, (we've covered a few, and you can see some pictures in the gallery above) it seems safe to assume that New Yorkers will be keen to make their voices heard upon his return. A few of opportunities to do just that are in some protests scheduled for May 4. One is hosted by Mobilize Here, Justice League NYC, and The NYC Chapter of the Women's March on Washington and takes place at the Intrepid, starting at noon. Another is hosted by Resist Here and the Working Families Party, and will start on the east side of 12th Avenue between 52nd and 54th. , at 2 PM, marching south. Star Wars gear welcome:
We ask that you wear white in honor of past immigrant rights movements, civil rights movements (see Silent March of 1917), and suffragettes. And being that it's May 4th (Star Wars Day), we'll show we're on the light side of the force! Bring your Statue of Liberty signs and Jedi lightsabers!
A third, hosted by the New York State Immigration Action Fund and the New York Immigration Coalition convenes at 6 PM at Trump Tower.
If you can't make it out on May 4th, there are plenty of other opportunities to voice your dismay at our current administration. Take Action NYC has an event calendar you can browse or subscribe to.
May Day, which is Monday, May 1, sees protests and rallies scheduled all over NYC. May Day protests and strikes are typically concerned foremost with worker's rights, but this year groups concerned with the rights of immigrants, people of color, LGBTQ and transfolk may find themselves drawn to the protests, as well. Starting on April 29, The Mayday Festival of Resistance takes place in Maria Hernandez Park, with workshops and a free concert. From the festival's Facebook event page:
MAYDAY is a distress signal and call to action
MAYDAY is a raucous celebration of rebirth
MAYDAY is International Worker’s DayJoin us in uplifting the spirit of resistance in our communities under the Trump regime. As our neighbors, comrades and allies come under increasing threat by a corrupt and morally bankrup administration, we gather and show the power of communities united against xenophobia, racism, and patriarchy!
One of the largest protests planned for May Day is the Rise Up New York! Immigrant Rights and Worker Rights in Foley Square at 5 PM-7 PM. The other, Mayday: We Shut It Down takes place at Grand Central Station from 9 AM-1 PM.
A few other, smaller events are happening in Union Square, including May Day with DSA, the May Day Anti-Fascist Bloc, May Day Strike to Defend Migrants, Refugees & All Workers, and A Day Without Immigrants. The Sixth Annual Immigrant Worker Justice Tour takes place at Washington Square Park, and Mayday Noise Demo in Solidarity with Incarcerated Workers at Columbus Park. You can also stand in solidarity with workers at B&H.
The PEN World Voices Festival takes place from May 1-7.
The thirteenth annual PEN World Voices Festival will take on some of the vital issues of the Trump-era, with a special focus on today’s restive relationship between gender and power. Taking place in New York City, May 1-7, 2017, the weeklong festival will use the lens of literature and the arts to confront new challenges to free expression and human rights—issues that have been core to PEN America’s mission since its founding. At this historic moment of both unprecedented attacks on core freedoms and the emergence of new forms of resistance, the Festival will offer a platform for a global community of writers, artists and thinkers to connect with concerned citizens and the broader public to fight back against bigotry, hatred and isolationism.
That festival will be celebrating May Day with a United Against Hate Voices in the arts rally at the Great Hall at Cooper Union, with performances, readings, and conversations from Patti Smith with her daughter Jesse Paris Smith, Ani DiFranco, Marlon James, Colum McCann, Suphala, Andrew Solomon, Suzanne Nossel, and Salman Rushdie. Tickets are currently sold out.