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May Day protests: Trump's policies targeting immigrants, federal workers and diversity spark movement

By and
Updated  May 1, 2025 11:54pm EDT
Florida
FOX 35 Orlando
May Day protests target Trump's policies in first 100 days

May Day protests target Trump's policies in first 100 days

Thousands of protesters are gathering nationwide on Thursday, including in Central Florida, to rally for workers’ and immigrants’ rights in the latest round of demonstrations against President Donald Trump and his administration.

The Brief

    • Hundreds of people in central Florida protest Trump Administration as part of nationwide "May Day" rallies.
    • Protesters are rallying for workers’ and immigrants’ rights in the latest round of demonstrations against President Donald Trump and his administration.
    • The protests took place locally in Central Florida, including one planned in Orange County.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - Thousands of protesters gathered nationwide on Thursday, including in Central Florida, to rally for workers’ and immigrants’ rights in the latest round of demonstrations against President Donald Trump and his administration.

What is May Day?

The backstory:

May Day, celebrated annually on May 1, is a multifaceted holiday with diverse meanings and traditions. It's a time for spring celebrations, labor rights commemorations and even a statewide celebration in Hawaii called Lei Day. In many parts of the world, it's known as International Workers' Day or Labor Day, commemorating the labor movement and the fight for workers' rights. 

Hundreds of protesters lined the Melbourne Causeway on Thursday afternoon. Protesters also gathered in Oviedo and in Orlando. 

They were decrying the Trump administration’s policies on the economy, public education and immigration enforcement.

Hours before the protests, Gov. Ron DeSantis faced reporters in South Florida. He celebrated the state’s largest ever week-long immigration crackdown. DeSantis said more than 1,100 undocumented immigrants were arrested.

Immigration operation yields over 1,000 arrests in Florida

Immigration operation yields over 1,000 arrests in Florida

State and federal authorities on Wednesday announced what they called the largest immigration roundup by a state in U.S. history, resulting in more than 1,000 arrests across Florida. Dubbed Operation Tidal Wave, the effort was a joint operation between local law enforcement agencies and federal immigration officials. Authorities targeted individuals living in the state who had previously been ordered deported. The arrests come amid heightened immigration enforcement efforts by state leaders.

What are the people protesting?

Dig deeper:

The May Day protests were supported by hundreds of organizations. The demonstrations varied from worker's rights rallies to marches for social justice.

Activists who planned the marches said much of their message was about fighting back against Trump’s policies targeting immigrants, federal workers and diversity programs.

"This is a war on working people – and we will not stand down," a website for the national day of action read. "They’re defunding our schools, privatizing public services, attacking unions, and targeting immigrant families with fear and violence. Working people built this nation, and we know how to take care of each other. We won’t back down – we will never stop fighting for our families and the rights and freedoms that propel opportunity and a better life for all Americans. Their time is up."

Protests held across Central Florida

What they're saying:

The protests were set to take place in nearly 1,000 cities across the U.S., including a few in Central Florida, such as Melbourne and Orlando. 

"Undocumented immigrants in particular don’t have a legal status from which to fight legally against the Trump Administration," Melbourne rally spokesperson Michael Kniat said. "So we’re out here calling attention to things Donald Trump has been doing to them."

"We wanted to advocate for those that are currently being held without just reason," Rene Gomez of the Farmworker Association of Florida said while protesting outside the Orange County Jail. "Being detained, being racially profiled. A lot of them work here in this country for years. They’ve contributed to this community, and their families are being ripped apart."

"You can’t have effective immigration enforcement if you have elaborate procedures that you have to go through," Gov. DeSantis said during a news conference on Thursday. "It is not punishment to be removed from this country. If you’re going to be punished, then you get the full panoply of due process."

What's next:

The governor said "Operation Tidal Wave" was just the beginning. That’s the same phrase protesters in Melbourne used when talking about rallies in opposition.

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO:

The Source: FOX 35 had news crews in the air and on the ground across Central Florida to gather the story in real time. Gov. DeSantis spoke in a news conference in south Florida and also posted about "Operation Tidal Wave" online. Additional information was gathered from the May Day protests website, as well as a press release sent by the "Immigrants Are Welcome Here" organization on May 1, 2025.

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