tierracita:

katydidnot said: but it’s been international workers’ day since 1886? i know occupy co-opts a lot of things but because the history of may day is in labor movements that doesn’t really seem like co-opting…

It totally is related to worker rights since 1886. I’m all for Occupy supporting worker rights but I am not for Occupy doing so at the expense of what US May Day has become. 

The last 8 years US May Day has shifted to advocate for immigration reform as related to workers rights. This year Occupy has posted many posters/calls for actions that have stated “occupy may day” with the conversation being bring occupies platform to May Day. 

No. May Day needs to have the momentum it has had around immigration reform. May day has brought a large amount of awareness about immigrant rights to public arenas. To dilute this with Occupy is helping no one. If the occupy movement had instead asked folks to join in solidarity with May Day as it stands than this would be different, instead Occupy has decided to change the direction/theme of May Day without any consideration or input from those doing this work for nearly a decade instead of just the last year. Additionally, this is one of the first years I’ve ever seen violence being reported with May Day (It’s all over the news right now that violence is occurring right now at these rallies, see my last post). This has always been a family safe day. I don’t feel safe marching this year. But hey that’s me. 

I can’t support any moved that reduce/deduce or distract from the work of May Day that has been done for US politics around immigration reform, especially from a movement that has such fissures of politics around POC/Decolonize/marginalization or that has co-opted narratives/works of POC, much like they are doing today.

Hey, the internet already transcribed my sentiments.