New York's May Day rallies focus on rights of workers and immigrants

NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM) - While May 1 is always a tribute to workers, a May Day rally held in Manhattan on Tuesday was tied to immigrants' rights and other political issues that go well beyond the workplace.

Chanting "Si se puede," which means "Yes you can," workers, immigrant leaders, and elected officials kicked off the rally in a Washington Square. It was one of several May Day rallies in New York.

The Washington Square rally brought longtime labor leaders together with immigrant workers who became part of the organized labor workforce. The focus was on core labor issues: good jobs and the right to organize.

Labor leader Carla Canales has been in the U.S. for 25 years under the temporary protected status program granted to Honduran immigrants. That the future of that program is now uncertain.

Plenty of elected officials supported the rally as well, including Public Advocate Letitia James and Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul.

SkyFoxHD was overhead for an early morning march and rally from Battery Park to Wall Street by a coalition of organizations. Gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon was with them. The purpose was to draw attention to major financial institutions that they claim profit from immigrant detention and mass incarceration.

A rally in Union Square focused on everything from the president's immigration policies to military air strikes.