May Day march highlights Youth Jail, extrajudicial killings in Philippines

Undocumented immigrant rights activist Maru Mora marched with the contingent and made a speech during the rally. (Photo by Susan Fried)

Signs urged “Stop the Killings” and “No New Youth Jail” at a May Day march centering womxn of color and families as part of Seattle’s annual International Workers and Immigrants Rights march.

Hundreds of people in different groups throughout Seattle participated in May Day, an international movement that focuses on the fight against systemic racism, colonization, imperialism, capitalism and patriarchy.

The contingent of marchers that met in Pioneer Square was called the May Day Womxn of Color and Families and Anti-Imperialist march. Organizing parties included Families of Color Seattle, Tenants Union of Washington, Rainier Valley Corps, Jewish Voices for Peace, and Coalition of Anti-Racists Whites, among others.

Some of this group’s main focus points raised awareness of the No New Youth Jail effort and the wave of violent citizen deaths since Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte took office.

Their Facebook post welcomed families, children, disabilities, elderly, queer, trans, and gender non-conforming folks, allies, friends, to join them.

Photographers Susan Fried and Naomi Ishisaka were there to take photos of the day’s events.

A worker wears his hard hat during a speech. (Photo by Susan Fried)
March participant, Yvette Maganya, watches amid a group of other marchers. (Photo by Susan Fried)
Around 75 people showed up to the Womxn of Color and Anti-Imperialist march. (Photo by Susan Fried)
Marchers stand next to immigrant rights activist Maru Mora as a protestor talks over a megaphone. (Photo by Susan Fried)
A girl sits on someones shoulders as flags rise above. (Photo by Susan Fried)
Two children on a wagon hold up a sign that’s against the rise of deaths of citizens in the Philippines. (Photo by Susan Fried)
A young boy holds a flag demanding to stop the killings currently being experienced by the Phillipines. (Photo by Naomi Ishisaka)
A line of police officers at King Street Station stand back as the May Day march begins. (Photo by Naomi Ishisaka)
A dancer from the CeAtl Tonalli Aztec dancing group wears a colorful feathered headdress. CeAtl Tonalli are annual performers at May Day. (Photo by Naomi Ishisaka)
Two people clasp hands with the words “no new youth jail” written across their arms. (Photo by Naomi Ishisaka)