Many hundreds of people marched from the 16th St. BART Station to Dolores Park Monday at noon in a “Workers Over Billionaires” demonstration that took aim at President Donald Trump, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Participants talked about general fear of the country’s direction, the plight of immigrants and the feeling of living in troubled times.
“They are attacking immigrants and scapegoating them for the problems that we face in this country,” said Sanika Mahajan, one of the emcees and an employee of Mission Action, an immigrant and tenant rights organization.
She stood with others on the back of a truck outfitted with speakers, winding its way through the Mission District.
“Increasingly, it’s difficult, even with a union job, to afford basic necessities,” she said. “It’s difficult to afford to live in a home with your family, to send your kids to a good public school.”
“The real criminals,” she continued, “are the billionaires.”
The Labor Day rally in San Francisco was one of hundreds of similar events across the country emphasizing a “billionaire takeover” of the government, according to organizer May Day Strong, a nationwide coalition that’s backed by the AFL-CIO.
But those who spoke and attended seemed more focused on those under attack.
We want to honor those “who are being subjected to being imprisoned unjustly” and “who are caught in this crossfire,” said Roberto Hernandez, a founder of Carnaval and a longtime Mission activist. He burned sage to kick off the march.
For a full two hours, the blocks-long procession of workers, union members, teachers and retirees swept through the Mission District and eventually took over Dolores Park.
Members of the Party for Socialism and Liberation walked around in red T-shirts reading “Socialism Is the Future” while others tabled for socialist candidates and parties. They handed out flyers and took donations in plastic gallon buckets.
The billionaires “are cutting public education,” said Jeff Freitas, president of the California Federation of Teachers, in reference to support for vouchers, an idea that goes beyond one espoused only by billionaires.
“They are creating vouchers to eliminate public education … There are eliminating free lunch and mental health programs for our students … They’re trying to erase the truth of our history,” he said.
Freitas also pointed to threats to the right to education, citing legal efforts aimed at undermining Plyler v. Doe, the 1982 Supreme Court decision that requires funding for every student, regardless of their immigration status.
That decision has been upheld in the past. The 1994 California Proposition 187, which was designed to deny public services, including free education, to immigrants, was approved by a majority of voters. But it was immediately blocked by a federal judge as unconstitutional.
It’s unclear what would happen in today’s world.
“We see the challenge and struggle our people face, especially the most vulnerable undocumented immigrant workers in our community, especially under the current federal administration,” said Jose Ng, immigrant affairs advocate at nonprofit Chinese for Affirmative Action. “Because when immigrant workers are protected, all workers rise.”
Most marchers, however, shared less specific concerns.
“I’m here because my father was a longtime union member, and I want to support workers and labor unions on Labor Day,” said David Davies, 67, whose father was a crane operator in a factory and a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
Others spoke of democracy and solidarity.
“It helps me gain a sense of grounding to be part of a movement that fights fascism,” said Camie G., 66, who, like many others in the rally, preferred not to share their full names.
Being here with the community of like-minded people helped with her “panic and fear,” she said. “I want to stay strong. I do not want to stay in a state of fear.”
I feel “the public good is defunded and the private wealth of millionaires and billionaires is getting funded,” said D.W., 59, who works in the nonprofit sector. She said her feelings now can be best represented by the poem Martin Niemöller wrote about indifference in the face of Nazi persecution.
“I’m here to save democracy for the future,” said Kenneth Wright, 73, a marcher. “Rights are being taken away. ICE is arresting people without due process. Minorities are targeted.”
I’m here because “this country is too important to leave to these criminals and morons,” said Barry Zigas, 74, a retired housing advocate who wants to “stand up for what’s good for America.”
“It’s important to show that there’s a large, wide, deep, strain of resistant disgust with the current policies against immigrants and workers in America,” said Karen Klein, 70, a retired employee of nonprofits for people with disabilities or immigrants.
“It makes me very sad to see a lot of that work dismantled by the current administration,” she said.
District 9 Supervisor Jackie Fielder was the only elected official Mission Local observed at the march.
“People are having to work so much more for less,” she said at Dolores Park. She saw the rally as a step “towards a more just and equitable society.”
Scott Wiener was there. Was he protesting the billionaires that finance his political project.
Apparently Wiener tried to jump the mic at Rainbow Grocery’s 50th birthday party but the collective members were having none of it.
Scott should probably do his whoring over on Capp or Shotwell.
Every time Newsom says anything he makes sure he’s in the shot. Shameless.
It was Labor Day, and glad to see a pretty decent show of crowd support for labor. Thanks for highlighting the speech by Jeff Freitas as it was great. The other speakers were . . . less so. Started out with a “land acknowledgement” that this is Ohlone land, by someone who admitted they were not Ohlone. Then a speaker declaring that immigrants built everything you see. Then a complaint contradicting that and noting that immigrants came and stole the land, with yet another land acknowledgement. Then someone protesting Israelis in Gaza. Not a whole lot about labor and all doing a good job of being divisive. A telling moment was when one speaker shouted “What do we want?!?” Met by dead silence because each speaker seemed to want something unique to him or her so the crowd had no idea how to respond (the speaker finally had to prompt the crowd to shout “Justice!”). Another speaker ranted about how things were too expensive so we can’t have stay-at-home mothers anymore like she had (or stay at home “aunties and abuelas” – okay). Freitas stayed on message as did one other speaker who spoke in favor of public education and teachers. The crowd was there to support labor rights. Most of the speakers, not so much. A little discipline among the speakers would go a long way rather than airing a series of unrelated pet complaints.
When anything is about everything than nothing is about anything.
I see the right-wing-posing-as-“moderates” talking points are on full view in the comments. I was there and I was very disappointed in the turnout. We’re a long way from the passionate SF residents who cared enough to make a massive show of strength about the important issues of the day. As we know when enough people turn out consistently to protest authoritarian governments and their exploitation of their citizens (as workers in this case), it can have a significant impact on ending that government. But the social media induced lethargy that seems to hang over SF these days means that not enough people are willing to do even the minimum of showing up for 2 hours on Labor Day to protest the massive redistribution of wealth away from working people to the upper 10% who finance the fascists.
Years back I remember participating in a bicycle rally on behalf of electing Matt Gonzalez for mayor. It was impressive, with almost as many cyclists as participatedin the periodic critical mass events, back then.
On our bikes, we followed the “leaders” at the front, who turned out not to really be the leaders. They led us us through empty streets into an empty parking garage and puddled us up in circles at the top! Others might differ with me about the outcome of that demonstration, but I considered it a failure.
Likewise I would warn all those who really care about the plight of workers to question the deceptions that hide behind demagogic appeals to “fight the oligarchy”.
Many of these organizers and phony-leftists support unions that are unlike the unions of earlier generations. Most unions today use nationalism to divide workers and indeed, support Trump and his administration’s dismantling of worker rights and protections.
Also, people need to understand that it is impossible to be a genuine socialist and a nationalist at the same time.
I would like to challenge readers here to read the Labor Day statement published by the World Socialist Web Site to learn more:
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/09/01/owst-s01.html
Wiener was there, but I think he left early.
Of course he did. Case in point.
Did Donald Trump resign?
Did the billionaires agree to donate all their money to charity?
Hundreds? OK, so presumably less than 1,000 but let’s call it 1,000. In a city of 850,000 or so.
So put another way, 99.88% of the city’s residents did not care enough about this matter to participate. Isn’t that the real story here?
Holding the march on a holiday during summer just before schools reopen is the issue, child.
No, the issue is that the turnout was pathetic. I guess most people don’t hate success and prosperity after all.
Meaningless virtue signaling. These mostly rich, white people— with no lives— are protesting to keep their nannies and their gardeners on slave wages. They want to unalive the homeless here by keeping the cartel drug dealers in power. They want to keep poor and working families crammed into tiny apartments in everyone’s racially segregated neighborhoods. To continue the trafficking of children, with no one to protect them, across the borders. What’s in it for them? Why do they care so much? Why do they want the protection of black lives in DC to stop? If you can’t see that this is a class war being waged against the working, productive citizens of this country, you haven’t been paying attention. These are the people that gentrified your city! No lives matter to them except their own. Take your city back, people. EAT THE RICH.
Eat the vagrants and drug addicts ….
Like in Soylent Green. Keeping food prices down.