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18th Annual May Day March for Workers and Immigrant Rights Photograph and Video Collection, May 1, 2017

Overview of the Collection

Collector
University of Washington Libraries. Special Collections
Title
18th Annual May Day March for Workers and Immigrant Rights Photograph and Video Collection
Dates
May 1, 2017 (inclusive)
Quantity
245 digital photographs; 4 digital videos
Collection Number
PH1487
Summary
Photographs and videos of the 18th Annual May Day March for Workers and Immigrant Rights, on May 1, 2017
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

The collection is entirely digital and can be viewed only on the Libraries Digital Collections website.

Request at UW

Languages
English
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Historical Background

As many as ten thousand demonstrators took to the streets of Seattle on May 1, 2017 as part of the 18th Annual May Day marches, demonstrations, and rallies. Anti-war veterans, Black Lives Matter demonstrators, Anonymous & Co., Revolutionary People's Party, Seattle Antifascists, and more all held marches, demonstrations, and rallies around Seattle. The largest event was the 18th Annual May Day March for Workers and Immigrant Rights, organized by El Comité. Several thousand marchers, including numerous labor organizations such as the Service Employees International Union, the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters, and many more, marched from Judkins Park in the Central District to Seattle Center. At 11:00 am, music and speeches were given before the march headed westbound down Lane Street. Native Northwestern Hand Drummers joined the Ce Atl Tonalli Aztec Dance group in leading the procession.

May Day (May 1st) has long been known as a day for demonstrations in cities across the United States. May 1, 1886 was the first day of a three day labor strike in Downtown Chicago; three years later, the International Socialist Conference declared the day "International Workers Day". The history of May Day demonstrations in Seattle can be understood as a continuation of the spirit of the 1999 WTO Protests ("Battle of Seattle"), where at least 40,000 protestors took over downtown Seattle to protest the meeting of the World Trade Organization. Six months after the WTO protest, an internationally coordinated protest was scheduled for May 1, 2000. For the past 18 years, Seattle has held May Day protests, demonstrations, and marches. While the vast majority of participants have engaged in peaceful demonstrations, Seattle's May Day events have gained a reputation for violence, which has generally been attributed to anarchist and anti-capitalist groups.

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Content Description

Photographs and videos of the 18th Annual May Day March for Workers and Immigrant Rights, on May 1, 2017.

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Use of the Collection

Alternative Forms Available

View the entire collection on the Libraries Digital Collections website

Restrictions on Use

Creator's copyrights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.

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Administrative Information

Acquisition Information

Donor: Tony Fletcher, May 1, 2017; John Gerhard, May 1, 2017; Kristin Kinsey, May 1, 2017.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

 


2018 (Last modified: 1/31/2020)

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