May Day protest gathers community members in Bowling Green

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Citizens across the nation are using May 1 to celebrate workers and to air their own grievances against the state of the economy, the war with Iran and President Donald Trump.

About 30 protestors gathered Friday at the intersection of Campbell Lane and Gary Farms Boulevard. They carried signs calling attention to many issues, including immigration, taxes and inflation.

Speakers addressed the crowd and onlookers.

Their voices had to compete with both friendly honks and antagonistic yelling.

Teresa Christmas, an organizer of the May Day protest, says, “Today is May 1. It’s traditionally always been International Workers’ Day, and we just appreciate the history of that, of the labor unions, because they are the reason that child labor was outlawed in this country. They are the reason that workers get lunch breaks or aren’t worked just completely around the clock.”

Protest leaders stressed people have the power to direct their money away from corporations that they disagree with and into the hands of smaller businesses that may be locally owned.

May Day, or International Workers’ Day, has celebrated laborers and the working classes since the 19th century.