HOUGHTON -- Inspired by May Day speeches on the history and merits of organized labor as well as warnings about the present Administration's autocratic threats to unions and workers, a dedicated group of protesters marched peacefully on the Portage Lift Bridge presenting their signs and flags to oncoming traffic last Thursday evening, May 1.
Keweenaw Socialists sponsored the march, supported by the presence of members of Keweenaw Indivisible and members of other Copper Country groups that defend democracy.
Griffin, of Keweenaw Socialists, welcomed participants in Bridgeview Park with a speech that began with the history of International Workers' Day, May 1, including references to workers' struggles in the Copper Country during the mining days of the early 20th century, when Big Annie Clemenc led marches here.
Griffin, of Keweenaw Socialists -- sponsors of the May 1, 2025, march for International Workers' Day in Houghton --kicks off the event at Bridgeview Park with a speech, beginning with the history of May Day and the labor movement. (Videos by Keweenaw Now)Griffin continued his speech with comments on the Trump Administration's attitude toward the rest of the world and his tariffs.
Griffin tells participants why Trump's attitude that workers in the rest of the world are our enemies -- to justify his tariffs and anti-immigrant policies -- is wrong.Finally, Griffin reminds his audience of the Trump Administration's illegal and inhumane abduction and deportation of migrants as well as his revocation of student visas.
Griffin gives examples of Trump's arrests, abductions and deportations that warn of a pattern that could mean danger to American citizens as well.Next, participants at the May Day march heard from Rich Canevez -- Keweenaw Indivisible organizer, Michigan Tech assistant professor of Communication, Culture, and Media in the Humanities Department, and son of Filipino immigrants.
Rich Canevez of the Keweenaw Indivisible leadership team, speaks to participants in the May 1, 2025, march for International Workers' Day.Heather Mroz, also a member of the Keweenaw Indivisible leadership team, said the speech by Rich was one part of Keweenaw Indivisible's support for the event and solidarity with sponsor Keweenaw Socialists.
"While the Keweenaw Socialists hosted the event, Keweenaw Indivisible supported it in solidarity by helping with logistics, sharing resources, and showing up to uplift the message of worker power -- collective action that resists exploitation," Mroz told Keweenaw Now.
Following the speeches, Griffin led participants in singing the union song, "Solidarity Forever.""
Following the speeches in Bridgeview Park, participants sing the chorus to "Solidarity Forever," led by Griffin of the Keweenaw Socialists, sponsors of the march.Next, the marchers headed up to Shelden Avenue and the Portage Lift Bridge.
Following speeches in Bridgeview Park, participants in the May 1, 2025, march for International Workers' Day display signs and flags as they march to the Portage Lift Bridge in Houghton.Marchers stood on the bridge displaying their signs to oncoming traffic. One of these was Cynthia Drake of Ripley.
"My feeling is we need to keep coming together and not dividing further," Drake told Keweenaw Now. "I feel the more divided we are we are going to keep falling and we'll never be a country again. The only way is if we come together."
As her sign says, "Together we rise, divided we fall."
Drake said she is more concerned with looking ahead and visioning what we want rather than protesting. Her vision is one of community or a collective.
"I would like to see us see each other in our full humanity and respect each person in their full humanity and continue to draw on our strength of diversity so that we can create a country where all gifts and all talents can be utilized toward the greater good for all of us," Drake noted. "We're never doing anything alone. We're always doing things on the backs of our ancestors or on the skill sets of those in our neighborhood or the hands that raise the food for us."
Marchers held tightly to their signs and flags in a cold wind on the bridge.
Participants in the May 1, 2025, march for International Workers' Day return to Houghton on the Lift Bridge.
Local resident Cathy Campbell Olszewski, who is active in several Copper Country groups defending democracy, agreed to speak with Keweenaw Now about her reason for marching.
Following the march across the Portage Lift Bridge, Cathy Campbell Olszewski tells Keweenaw Now why she participated in this march for International Workers' Day.
Barb Turuc, Houghton County Democratic Party secretary, also told Keweenaw Now why she participated in this march for labor.
"It is important to support labor especially when it is under such fierce attack," Turuc said. "We will not quietly watch our rights, fair pay, safe work places, and a living wage taken away."
"Labor rights -- unions, anti-discrimination and civil rights -- have been eroding in this country over the past 40 plus years," said Valorie Troesch of Torch Lake Township. "The most destructive attacks have come from Ronald Reagan and now Donald Trump, Project 2025, and DOGE. So it's necessary for people to publicly express support for the working class and labor. That's why I am here today."
Ruth Gill of Hancock did not wish to comment but displayed a sign that supported bringing back legal US resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was abducted unjustly and sent to El Salvador.
