r/phoenix • u/AriesAviator Ahwatukee • 2d ago

Politics Labor Day protest at the capitol building

This is a volunteer organized event running from 9-11 AM on September 1st. The goal of this rally is to 'demand a country that puts workers over billionaires'. If you have the day off and feel moved, come down and make your voice heard!

Full event details here

For anyone new to these sort of events, a quick list of guidelines for what you should do/bring.

-Bring lots and lots of water

-Shoes and clothing that will be comfortable with movement and heat

-An umbrella for shade is never a bad idea, or a small fan or ice packs

-Do not bring any weapons, even those that are legally permissable, as per request from event organizers

-Do not argue, yell at, or otherwise interact with counter-protestors or agitators

-Obey all lawful orders from law enforcement

-Do not block or impede traffic

-Chalk is a protected form of protest only so long as you draw or write on PUBLIC and not PRIVATE property

-Be aware that it is likely ICE may be near or at this event

-Police are not your friends. Be polite and follow directions, but as per the advice of many a lawyer do not talk to or volunteer to interact with them if possible

-Bring a sign! Be aware, for those with small children, profanity on signs is common

-You do not have to attend for the entirety of the event. Feel free to come and go as you please

186 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

29 comments sorted by

42

u/Low-Tackle2543 2d ago

Why labor day? The capitol building will be closed and no one will see it. Isn’t this like protesting outside a Chick-fil-a on a Sunday?

4

u/Logvin Tempe 2d ago

People will see it. There will be media, pictures all over social, camera crews, etc. Labor Day is a federal holiday so the majority of people have the day off.

This happened on a Saturday: https://www.reddit.com/r/phoenix/comments/1kjegzm/happening_now_downtown_phoenix_fox_news_protest/

and this happened on a Saturday: https://www.reddit.com/r/phoenix/comments/1lbarib/happy_no_kings_day_phoenix/

3

u/FlyNSubaruWRX 1d ago

I’m all for making change. Can someone tell me what protesting is accomplishing.

6

u/AriesAviator Ahwatukee 1d ago

Protesting like this isn't a tool for direct change, but it is a way to draw eyes to an issue, encouraging people to be motivated and connected to issues, and offer spaces for people to make their opinions known. Lots of these rallies or protests will have booths run by other volunteers trying to get signatures to relevant ballot issues, organizations that distribute information on upcoming elections or court cases, or even organizations looking for volunteers to do things like run phones for surveys, offer assistance with transportation to voting centers, or other similar issues.

The idea is if a large group of people get together and go 'hey, we don't like this' in a visible way, politicians and policymakers will go 'hmm, large amounts of people dont like this' and make changes on their end.

One of the more famous examples of a protest that led to a massive change in law is the 1990 disabilities protests where disabled protestors dragged themselves up the steps of the Capitol building in DC to rally support for the Americans with Disabilities Act. It was incredibly poignant, effective, and a wonderful example of nonviolent protest affecting the decisions of politicians and lawmakers.

1

u/FlyNSubaruWRX 1d ago

I’m sorry, but showing up to protest one day every few months isn’t actually changing anything. The whole world already knows how badly we’re being treated, and unless you’re one of the billionaires cashing in on the economy, the average person and their family are getting screwed. The real issue is that too many uneducated people voted for this, and now we’re stuck dealing with the consequences.

2

u/AriesAviator Ahwatukee 1d ago

That's a good point! But an important part of something like this is reminding people to show up and vote, and drumming up excitement and engagement in the community.

One of the big reasons Republicans won this last election is that they simply had better voter engagement. And I'm not talking about talking points; Republicans were better at reaching out to their constituents and convincing them to actually show up on election day. Calling people for surveys and to talk about who they're voting for, knocking on doors and offering flyers or pamphlets, running programs to help people access mail-in voting or running ride-sharing to get people to the polling centers.

This is part of what this protest will help address. This will keep voters engaged in current issues, and just get them excited and hyped to vote and stay on top of what they can do to help their neighbors and do what they can at the moment.

1

u/hannibal_lecter01 10h ago

Protests are symbolic of the time and direct action is what we utilize to create change in our communities. The good thing about protests is there’s often speakers, local orgs, flyers and direct action activists that you’ll get to speak with or hear from that you otherwise wouldn’t. Additionally, it gives you a chance to find like-minded people you can call on should you organize a fundraiser, event, etc. It’s a perfect place to network for those of us that want to create a more direct impact on our communities. Also, as I tell everyone - I go to protests are for ME. To see the big turnout, the solidarity, the love, the music, the people dancing, the funny signs, gives me hope in humanity. I view protests as symbolic and not the solution to the big picture — they’re just one part of that big picture.

2

u/Sgt_Tackleberry Phoenix 2d ago

Don't take your phone with you if you can. It's a guarantee they'll have stingrays in place. 

Park far away or even use mass transit as they'll as be running camera cars as well scooping up license plates. 

Anything that can be used to track/trace you will be deployed as you will be considered a threat.

13

u/get-a-mac Phoenix 2d ago

Use mass transit..

Valley Metro is running Sunday schedules and you need your phone for the VM app.

11

u/Logvin Tempe 2d ago

you will be considered a threat

Everyone showing up to protest is a threat to the fascists who are in charge. They can't stand it when us peasants make our voices heard.

-11

u/health__insurance 2d ago

Lol Jason Bourne over here

-2

u/baxter1985 1d ago

lol. Main character energy over here.

Alternatively, no one cares at all.

3

u/TheNorthFac 2d ago

All these shopping bags blowing around I think they’d make a fine bonnet for a flock camera

1

u/Kismadaroq 1d ago

Who's organizing?

I wish these things weren't so damn early.

1

u/AriesAviator Ahwatukee 14h ago

So the 'official' organization is called May Day Strong, but the names of the actual organizers are not publicly available. If you're looking for more info about the organization, their website is available here. They have a virtual event this Saturday as well.