VOTE HERE
Proposal for Upcoming Protest Dates
Collected 3/31/25
This proposal outlines suggested dates for the next protests in the first half of May based on the collected data. The timing of these events will consider organizers' needs and potential permit restrictions in various states. The timeline is designed to visualize the proximity of protests.
Endorsement Process
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Duration of the Endorsement Vote: 120 Hours (Monday-Friday)
- Voting Mechanism: Community members can vote up or down on the proposed protest dates. A post must gain significant support within this period to move forward to the next step.
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Duration of the Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV): 48 hours (Saturday-Sunday)
- Voting Mechanism: Once a proposal passes the endorsement phase, it moves to a ranked-choice voting round. During this stage, voters will rank the proposed dates in order of preference. The proposal with the highest support after this phase will be selected for the protest.
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Final Approval: After the RCV concludes, the final decision will be made on which protest date to proceed with, based on the collective community preference.
Proposed Dates & Focus of Upcoming Protests:
May 1st – International Workers' Day (May Day)
- Focus: Workers' rights, labor unions, economic justice, and solidarity movements.
- Description: May Day is a global celebration of workers' rights, recognizing the contributions of labor movements and advocating for fair working conditions. It’s a day to stand in solidarity with workers around the world, highlighting economic justice and the ongoing fight for better labor laws. This could be a powerful day to mobilize for worker-focused protests or actions.
May 2nd – Friday
- Focus: Potential day for actions related to May Day or additional solidarity events.
- Description: While May Day officially falls on May 1st, many protests and events extend into the following weekend. Friday, May 2nd, could serve as an opportunity for larger city-wide actions or organizing community outreach to discuss workers' rights and the ongoing struggles for fair wages and working conditions.
May 3rd – Saturday
- Focus: Weekend protests or solidarity actions.
- Description: Saturday protests are often more accessible to a larger group of people who may be working during the week. This could be a prime opportunity for organizing rallies, marches, or community events to continue the conversation around economic justice and solidarity, particularly following the events on May 1st.
May 5th – Cinco de Mayo
- Focus: Celebration of Mexican culture, history, and heritage, often tied to social justice movements.
- Description: Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican victory over French forces in the Battle of Puebla. Over time, it has become a celebration of Mexican heritage and culture in the United States. This day could be an opportunity to celebrate cultural diversity while also raising awareness for social justice causes, particularly those impacting immigrant communities, farmworkers, and families.
May 8th – Victory in Europe (VE) Day
- Focus: Commemoration of the end of WWII in Europe, recognizing the importance of peace and anti-fascism.
- Description: VE Day marks the surrender of Nazi Germany and the end of WWII in Europe. It is a day to honor the sacrifices of those who fought in the war and to remember the importance of peace, democracy, and anti-fascism. Protests or events on this day could focus on standing against the rise of far-right ideologies and promoting peace and global cooperation.
May 9th – Friday
- Focus: A potential day for commemorations or solidarity actions related to VE Day.
- Description: As VE Day is observed on May 8th, the following Friday offers another opportunity for protests or commemorations that focus on peace, human rights, and anti-fascist movements. This could be a day for continued education and activism regarding the lessons learned from WWII and how those lessons apply to current global politics.
May 15th – International Day of Families
- Focus: Advocating for family rights, social support, and policies that protect family welfare.
- Description: International Day of Families is a day to promote awareness of issues related to families and to increase support for family policies. Events could focus on child welfare, parental leave, economic justice, and creating a society where all families, regardless of their structure, have access to the resources and support they need to thrive.
May 16th – Friday
- Focus: Weekend events focusing on family rights or social justice.
- Description: A Saturday date for community events or protests focused on family rights, healthcare access, or economic justice. This could be an opportunity for a family-friendly protest or gathering to highlight social support systems, family welfare policies, and the importance of investing in families’ well-being.
Additional Information:
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Proposal Creation: Proposals can be initiated by any member of the movement, and the dates will be vetted and posted for community review.
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Liaison Involvement: Liaisons play a crucial role in helping disseminate this information, encourage participation in voting, and ensure community feedback is incorporated.
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Poll Distribution: Organizing teams will be responsible for pushing the poll to ensure maximum participation and feedback. The poll will allow the community to endorse or reject proposed dates, and ranked-choice voting will finalize the most supported choice.
I believe May 1st would be the best option, as it offers 50501 the best chance to build relationships with other pre-existing groups, gives organizers a much-needed change of pace, and solidifies us in the activism world as "team players".
If May 1st is chosen, I think it should be heavily emphasized to 50501 organizers that we are not planning events ourselves, but rather joining/ supporting already existing events and offering them the support in whatever way they need us to show up (graphics, press, peacekeepers, medics, etc). But of course, if an event doesn't exist in one's area already, a 50501 state group can host one.
Choosing the 2nd or 3rd would be hurtful to our image, our ability to work with other groups in the future, and overall, May Day itself. Joining in on a pre-existing call-to-action would solidify us as "team players", as many groups have not viewed us as such before April 5th. The Hands Off! website is also now endorsing May Day, so it would raise eyebrows if we do not also act on that day. If two May Day events exist, with one on a weekday and one on a weekend, most people will choose to go to the weekend one. This would detract from the actual May Day events that are already being planned. The people's need for the event to be on a weekend is not greater than our need to build a network with other activist groups.
I am not entirely sure if May Day exists in the capacity as a day for people to do a strike or a walk-out from their place of employment/ school, but there is great potential for 50501 to market it that way if it is not being done so already. Calling for smaller actions, like a walk-out, could help us reach younger Americans, whom we have struggled to get in-person attendance from.
May 1st also offers 50501 organizers a change of pace, as the weight of organizing will not entirely be on them (considering other groups are already planning for May Day). The work would be more that of coordination and coalition building, which I feel some states might be struggling to do, simply because of being overworked/ needing more organizational volunteers. This is not the fault of anyone specific. Coalition building takes time and intention, which May 1st provides the space for.
At the end of the day, we are here to make change, and taking part in other national call-to-actions is the best way, in my opinion, to go about it. We are stronger together.