An Estimated 3,000 March At Annual 'May Day' Rally In San Jose

SOUTH BAY, CA -- About 3,000 labor and immigrant rights activists marched from Cesar Chavez's stomping grounds in East San Jose to a park downtown for the city's annual May Day rally Monday afternoon.

Protesters waved U.S., Mexican and United Farm Workers flags, held signs reading, "We are not immigrants, we are the original Americans," "Las familias primero" and "Black worker justice" as Aztec dancers performed to beating drums in the middle of the Arena Green park near the SAP Center.

Google and Facebook both agreed not to retaliate against employees and subcontractors who participated in today's strike.

"This shows the kind of momentum that's possible when we all stand together. We'll keep growing that momentum for an inclusive tech economy on May Day and beyond," Derecka Mehrens, co-founder of the progressive tech workers coalition Silicon Valley Rising, said in a statement.

Cafeteria workers at the $59.4 billion Santa Clara-based Intel voted to join the hospitality workers union Unite Here Local 19 in September, according to 28-year-old Maria Guerrero, who has worked as a barista there for almost three years.

Guerrero, a San Jose resident whose parents emigrated from Mexico, said Intel's cafeteria workers ratified a union contract last month that includes protection for immigrants, guaranteed seniority for employees of the
company's older subcontractor, sabbatical, health insurance and a $15 minimum wage.

"We're out here today basically just to show Trump and these tech companies that are aligning themselves with Trump, to show them that we're not going to stay silent anymore," Guerrero said. "This country was built on immigrants and, you know, I wouldn't want to see a country without us, to be honest."

Another Local 19 member, Miguel Lopez, a 46-year-old Mexico City native who has been in the U.S. for almost 21 years, said he was at the march to assert the rights of workers and undocumented immigrants.

"We are fighting for our rights against owners for the big hotels, big companies, against Mr. Trump for what he's doing," Lopez said. "Whatever he's doing is not right for no one at all. This country is for everyone."

Lopez said he works in the kitchen of the $300-a-night Fairmont Hotel and in the shipping and receiving warehouse of the San Jose Convention Center.

San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, who has repeatedly promised undocumented immigrants in the more than one-third foreign-born city that they would be safe from deportation, also attended Monday's march.

"Here in San Jose, we stand united in our drive to achieve greater equality and opportunity for all of our residents," Liccardo said in a statement. "And in contrast to the rhetoric emanating from Washington, we
will celebrate our community's longstanding history as a welcoming and inclusive place for our immigrant neighbors."

Bay City News contributed to this report/Images via Allison Levitsky/Bay City News