American Spring

Many analysts and critics have attempted to discredit OWS through mainstream media. Pointing to their lack of precise “demands”, the fact that they don’t support either of the two major political parties and casting doubts on the future of the movement after mass evictions from their original encampments. However, questions of the efficacy and resilience of the movement have been answered by over 15,000 New Yorkers marching down Broadway to Wall Street on May Day. Thousands also turned out in other US cities.
May Day, which has its origins in US, has largely been ignored in New York and elsewhere for many years. In fact, since McCarthyism, the importance and the meaning of May Day has been virtually erased from mainstream discourse. Ronald Reagan designated 1 May to “Law Day”, further erasing any reference to the origins of May Day, which date back to 1886.

Following the massacre, martial law was declared in Chicago. Hundreds of activists and labour leaders were arrested and interrogated, anyone who had anything to do with the labour movement or leftist groups was a target. Eventually eight anarchists were put on trial for the bombing. No evidence has ever been provided linking the “Chicago Eight” to the bombings. They were all convicted and seven sentenced to death.

I stood at Union Square as Das Racist performed one of their politically charged verses and I looked around the park. One thought dominated; It is May Day, this is New York, there are anarchists, labour unions, students, people of all races and religions standing together. I wondered if a TV News helicopter would arrive and hover above the crowd, asking everyone through loud speakers, “what are you protesting about?” and “what are your demands?”, but the only helicopters hovering above were police helicopters. US mainstream media have again ignored the significance and the size of the demonstration. New York Daily News printed that “hundreds of protesters” had gathered.

The day proceeded to be festive, with Tom Morello, Das Racist and Immortal Technique, to name a few, performing throughout the afternoon. Once the march commenced from Union Square to Wall St, it was rather an impressive sight. Thousands of people as far as your eyes could see, in both directions of Broadway, with different banners and all united over their concern for the future. Which begs the question, what next?

Today, days after the big May Day march, students and OWS activists are joining together at campuses, having teach-ins, protesting astronomically high fees and organizing an “alternative university.” Whatever analysts and critics debate about OWS through the media, OWS continues the grassroots recruitment and targeting of banks and universities, almost indifferent to what the New York Times or New York Daily News says. May Day was a signal of the return of Occupy Wall St, but I think Immortal Technique have summed it up the best as they were exiting, "When people say we're back, we say we never left."
-Emir Hodzic, Unite activist living in NYC (Photos and text)
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