photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Protesters gather for the May Day 2025 nationwide protest on Thursday, May 1, 2025, in downtown Lawrence.

Cars honked their horns and hundreds of protesters lined Lawrence’s Massachusetts Street singing “This Land is Your Land” on Thursday as a nationwide — and worldwide — day of anti-Trump and pro-labor protests kicked off.

More than 400 people gathered downtown to protest a long list of moves by the Trump administration — such as the elimination of thousands of federal jobs, aggressive immigration raids and billionaire Elon Musk’s cuts through the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. They sang, spoke and made signs: “Tax the rich.” “Pro democracy, pro choice.” “Protect our constitution.” “Stop the billionaire takeover.” “Say no to Musk and the DOGE bags.” “Wake up! Arise! Tyranny is at our doors!” “Make America America Again!”

“We’ve got to speak,” one protester told the Journal-World. “Silence is not an option. I can’t stay alive when the world is falling apart … (President Donald Trump) shouldn’t be in that office.”

Across the country — literally “from California to the New York island,” as in Woody Guthrie’s song — and around the world, demonstrators took to the streets for May Day, which is recognized globally as International Labor Day. Traditionally, it is a time when organizers plan worker demonstrations and calls for labor rights, but this year, U.S. activists have tied it in with the recent wave of grassroots protests against the Trump administration’s policies.

The Associated Press reported that this year, hundreds of thousands of people around the world turned out for May Day rallies, in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Washington, and big cities in Europe and Asia too. Many of the rallies in the U.S. were organized with the help of the political activist group 50501 — short for 50 Protests, 50 States, 1 Movement — which earlier this year led an effort to stage anti-Trump protests at all 50 state capitols.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Protesters gather for the May Day 2025 nationwide protest on Thursday, May 1, 2025, on Massachusetts Street.

Lawrence’s protest on Thursday, like the regular protests that local activists organize each Sunday against the Trump administration, started at the intersection of Ninth and Massachusetts streets. From there, some of them marched to City Hall, then to Robinson Park and back through downtown.

Kathryn Schneider said this was her first time attending a protest in Lawrence, and she felt like this year she needed to go to one.

“I felt confident enough in this to at least just come out here and get a taste of my first protest because I think they’re important,” Schneider said. “… I’m just so impressed with all of the older people that are taking their time to come out here … and everybody honking is really fun.”

Another protester told the Journal-World that they attend the protests in Lawrence every Sunday. They said that while protesting, it can be difficult to pick just one issue to protest about, saying there have been many negative impacts to cancer research, health care, Social Security and more.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Protesters gather for the May Day 2025 nationwide protest on Thursday, May 1, 2025, in downtown Lawrence.

“It’s such a barrage all at once,” the protester said.

Erin Schmidt said that people sometimes wonder, “What good is a protest?” For Schmidt, one good thing about a protest is that it’s a breath of fresh air. Schmidt said the signs that people create are not about what will benefit them personally, but rather about the people who can’t speak for themselves.

“I think it’s interesting how creative everyone is, and I love the support,” Schmidt said. “I think if we all join together and make a big enough scene, maybe something will change.”

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Signs from the May Day 2025 protest in Lawrence on Thursday, May 1, 2025.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Protesters gather for the May Day 2025 nationwide protest on Thursday, May 1, 2025, in downtown Lawrence.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

A protester holds up a Donald Trump balloon on Thursday, May 1, 2025.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Protesters march down Massachusetts Street for the May Day 2025 nationwide protest on Thursday, May 1, 2025.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Protesters march through downtown Lawrence for the May Day 2025 nationwide protest on Thursday, May 1, 2025.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Anti-Trump protesters march to City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St., on Thursday, May 1, 2025.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Protesters march through downtown Lawrence for the May Day 2025 nationwide protest on Thursday, May 1, 2025.