Hundreds of people marched across Santa Barbara County on Friday afternoon as part of a nationwide May Day protest for labor solidarity. Marchers also protested escalating immigration enforcement raids and President Donald Trump’s administration.
The rallies and marches were part of a coordinated nationwide “No Work, No School, No Shopping” demonstration.
In Santa Barbara County, marches were held at UC Santa Barbara and in the cities of Lompoc, Santa Maria and Santa Barbara.
Santa Barbara’s rally started at De la Guerra Plaza at 2 p.m. with a performance from the Santa Barbara Brasscals. About 200 people gathered in the plaza with signs, musical instruments, snacks and water.
Mia Lopez, a representative of the Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation, opened the rally with an acknowledgement of the Earth and seasons. She also spoke about the mistreatment of Native communities.
“Before there were borders put upon us, our people walked these trails, traded, we not only traded goods, we traded families, we are relatives,” Lopez said. “The people that came over the ocean are the true immigrants, and I’m not saying that to make anybody feel bad. I’m saying it to remind you of the truth.”
Two San Marcos High School seniors spoke at the rally about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s impact on the community.
“Immigrants are not criminals for wanting safety, opportunity or a better life,” student Brianna Gomez said. “Many of them are the backbone of our communities. They are mothers, fathers, workers, students and dreamers.”
Gomez said that despite contributing to the community, immigrants can’t go to the grocery store or doctor’s appointments without the fear of being separated from their families.
“I may not have a lot of power, but I do have a voice, and I’m using it to say this: Fear is not policy, and silence is not an option,” Gomez said. “We can choose humanity, and we can demand for better, for our neighbors, for our friends and for the future of this country.”
Johanna Gomez Lopez, a San Marcos High School senior, said that when she studies history in class, the scenarios and characters feel all too familiar to what she sees on the news.
“It’s terrifying to know this is no longer just a test I’m taking, this is no longer just people I’m reading about,” she said. “These are my family. These are my friends. These are my neighbors. These are the people out here who, despite these threats and these dangers, are still out here willing to speak out.”
The Santa Barbara speakers also had a list of demands.
They asked for ICE to be abolished; that local law enforcement and the jail not share data with ICE; that Flock cameras be removed from Santa Barbara; for healthcare for all, as well as livable wages and affordable housing; a budget that reflects the people’s needs and wants; and that consulates make their services accessible to people impacted by ICE.
After the rally, the crowd began marching along State Street as onlookers watched. Drivers at intersections honked their horns in support.
Similar actions occurred on Friday afternoon in Santa Maria and Lompoc.
Equipped with signs, buckets repurposed as drums, and walking shoes, more than 100 participants gathered at a parking lot on the corner of South Broadway and Stowell Road.
The marchers, some chanting and others hitting drums, traveled from the parking lot to Santa Maria City Hall as passing motorists honked horns in support.
Signs touted various messages, including “ICE out of 805,” “Democracy needs your courage” and “Love your neighbor.”
At UCSB’s Eternal Flame, about 70 students gathered to mark May Day.
Holding signs reading “Workers over millionaires” and “protect workers, not millionaires,” student activists from various organizations called for action from the university administration on labor rights and protections for undocumented students.
The crowd, alongside a group of folklórico dancers, marched to Campbell Hall, then Storke Tower, where many speakers incentivized the protesters to get involved in campus activism.
Folklórico dancer Celeste Cortez said the dancers were there “to display how folklórico can be a form of artistic resistance against politicians who don’t respect our culture, who may enjoy our music and our food, but still benefit from our labor.”
Erik Juarez Noria, a third-year UCSB student and volunteer at the rally, told Noozhawk that he was at the rally to show solidarity with workers.
He said his parents are working-class immigrants, and he participated in the May Day event to “show up for them.”
“I chose to show solidarity for those workers who aren’t able to,” he said. “We are all deserving of a well-paid job, but many workers are not paid enough, such as AFSCME 3299 workers. As rent and gas prices go up, we need to fight for better wages and benefits for workers who make the university run.”
AFSCME 3299 represents custodians, food service workers, groundskeepers, patient care assistants and hospital technicians across the UC system.
The union has been in negotiations with the university for a new contract for about two years.
A union representative at the rally, Meadows Stevens, called on UCSB Chancellor Dennis Assanis to support AB 713, a proposed campus policy that would allow undocumented individuals to work in the University of California system.
