MayDay (Oxnard)

May 1st (or May Day) is often referred to as an internationally recognized "holiday" that honors workers and the labor movement. This is bullshit. May Day isn't a holiday. Most of us minimum wage workers don't even get it off. May Day was born out of the radical struggle of syndicalist anarchists and socialists of the 19th century. But much like everything else in Amerikkka, May Day has been reduced to a palatable and safe "holiday" where unions and non-profits march around and take photos with catchy slogans while the rest of us try to eat as fast as we can on our 10-minute break before clocking in to get yelled at by a boss that doesn't know his thumb from his asshole. Yet, still makes 3 times more than we do. It was precisely from this exploitation that May Day was born. Anarchists and socialists organized strikes that led to the modern-day 8-hour workday and days off. Back in those days, laborers could be forced to work for up to days at a time with no time off. During 1886, there was a widespread, collectivized workers’ movement across the United States. Hundreds of thousands of workers all over the country organized several strikes, demanding an 8-hour workday. This time is now known as The Great Upheaval of 1886. From this time, the most well-known incident is the Haymarket Affair in Chicago. Thousands of workers went on strike in May of 1886 in Chicago. They faced incredible amounts of violent repression, facilitated by local police forces. The aftermath of the Haymarket Affair resulted in the murder of several striking workers and widespread anti-union, anti-anarchist, and anti-socialist propaganda. Despite this, workers still banded together and had their demands met. On May 1st of this year, a multitude of local* organizations called on Oxnard residents to take part in a day of “No School, No Work, No Shopping”. The event took place at La Plazita at about 2 pm. Scores of people gathered at La Plazita, and as the crowd grew, the leading organizations directed the crowd onto the streets in a circuit march through downtown. Before getting into the bad, let’s talk about the good. Hopefully, it can soften the blow. The good: Many local organizations participated in the march. Among them CAUSE, 805 Undocufund, MICOP, VC Defensa/PSL Ventura (counted as 1 org since it’s basically the same people in both groups anyway), Buen Vecino. FLA, SEIU, and others. It is nice to see such a large coalition of local* organizations come together and bring scores of people out. There was a lot of energy in the march. The passion and love for the community were very evident. People left feeling inspired and encouraged to continue to stand up for themselves and each other. Okay. Now the bad... What did it achieve? Good feelings? Great. Comradery? Good. Folks getting their steps in as they took over the Boulevard? Excellent. But what else? If this event was nothing more than a march and rally, then it was clearly a magnificent success. But if this was supposed to be a day of strikes and civil disobedience, then it fell fucking short. A strike doesn’t happen overnight. Hell, a strike doesn’t even happen in a month. And this call for no school, no work, and no shopping in Oxnard was made less than a month before May 1st. There were comments left under Instagram posts by people who pointed out the irony that while the people at the event marched at 2 pm on a Friday for “workers of the world,” the fields around Oxnard were full of people working. And lowkey… they kind of have a point. It’s all love to the people who organized the May 1st event in Oxnard (yes, even to them too). But we have to keep it real, a call for a general strike in Oxnard, or anywhere, needs lengthy, careful planning. The most vulnerable and exploited workers (the ones who should have been on the Frontline in organizing this event) worked that day. And it was for one of two reasons: 1.) They just didn’t hear about it (a reliance on organizing and spreading information through social media is not the move. Even in 2026) (Yes, the irony of me typing this and you reading it online Isn’t lost on me.) Or, 2.) Living paycheck to paycheck stops many workers from participating (we can’t afford a fucking strike!) Whatever the reason, it is clear that for an effective and mass-mobilized strike to occur in Oxnard, there must be rigorous planning that happens for months so that the word can spread and networks of support can be created that can allow for more people to participate. Especially the heavily exploited laborers. Lastly, let’s talk responsibility as organizers. Details will be kept vague as students who confided the following information felt that they would get in trouble if teachers and school administrators found out who they are. Students from a local school (not college, minors) reached out to give their accounts of the repression they faced as they tried to participate in the May 1st event. Dozens of students had intended to walk out of their school to join the march at La Plazita, but were faced with teachers and school admin who physically blocked all school exits. Students spoke of the way that many teachers belittled and ridiculed them for wanting to participate in May Day. Many teachers made fun of the students for being “unorganized,” and several students stated that at least one particular adult at their school told them that “their ancestors did not die for them to be doing things like that”. Clearly, this adult should not be working in any capacity with children. Well, none of these adults should be, but this one in particular, because they are very obviously ignorant pieces of shit. Because our ancestors DID, in fact, die for this. They also died because of this. Many of us come from ancestors who were exploited to death. Our families continue to be exploited to death. And many of us will get exploited to death in our lifetime. Additionally, Oxnard’s history is built on workers' strikes. The Sugarbeet Strike of 1903 was a strike similar to the Haymarket Affair, in that the local police department worked closely with factory owners to repress workers. Oxnard workers were also murdered. Oxnard also had anarchists and socialists organizing the labor movement locally. This is what students need to be taught in schools as part of local history. But instead, students are mocked by the adults who are supposed to be teaching them. Let’s circle back now to responsibility. The groups that organized this event have the responsibility of looking out for these kids. Children are the most vulnerable and exploited demographic of us all. If we are going to be posting flyers for actions that lead to civil disobedience around schools, it is our responsibility as adults to ensure that these kids are safe and feel supported. These students were mocked, essentially locked in school, and the few who were able to leave were caught and faced detention and further ridicule. While the non-profits were taking photos and uploading them to their social media, these children were getting a hands-on lesson in the type of repression that May Day fought against. May Day isn’t a holiday. It isn’t a parade. It isn’t a photo-op. May Day was bloody. It was violent. It was organized. It was radical. It made demands. And it fought back. By any means necessary. And it protected and looked out for the most vulnerable. Holding a sign with a witty saying and marching down a street feels good. But what does it do? What is a May 1st rally to the field-working mom who works for 10 hours and still has to get home to make dinner for her husband and kids? What’s a May 1st rally to the custodian, wondering how he’s gonna make rent this month as he’s stuck in traffic down the Boulevard because people are marching with their hammer and sickle signs? What’s a May 1st rally to the kid who tried to walk out of school, only to be stopped and told that her ancestors would be ashamed of her? What’s May 1st to any of us who go back to the daily routine on May 2nd? Maybe that teacher was right. Our ancestors didn’t die for this. Our ancestors lit the fuse and threw the bomb.