From Tokyo to Turin to LA, Trump’s policies loom over May Day marches

PARIS (AP) — French union leaders condemned the "Trumpization" of world politics, while in Italy, May Day protesters paraded a puppet of the American president through the streets of Turin.

Across continents, hundreds of thousands turned out for Thursday's rallies marking International Workers' Day, many united in anger over U.S. President Donald Trump's agenda — from aggressive tariffs stoking fears of global economic turmoil to immigration crackdowns.

In the United States, organizers framed this year's protests as a pushback against what they called a sweeping assault on labor protections, diversity initiatives and federal employees.

In Germany, union leaders warned that extended workdays and rising anti-immigrant sentiment were dismantling labor protections. In Bern, Switzerland, thousands marched behind banners denouncing fascism and war — part of a wider backlash against the global surge of hard-right politics.

In France, union leaders predicted hundreds of thousands would join demonstrations across the country, fueled by anger over U.S. military and trade influence in Europe. Far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon accused the U.S. of pushing Europe toward conflict and economic subservience.

“If the North Americans don’t want our goods anymore, we can just sell them to others,” he said.

In Spain, thousands marched in Madrid, Barcelona and other cities, with demands ranging from a shorter workweek to answers for a historic power outage that blacked out the Iberian Peninsula earlier this week. Trump's name also surfaced.

“The world has changed a bit with Trump’s arrival,” said Ángel López, 56, a worker from Madrid. “The arrival of the far right to a country like the United States is a major global shift.”

Trump-fueled economic fears shadow Asia

Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te cited new U.S. tariffs under Trump as he promoted a sweeping economic package aimed at shoring up jobs and industry. In the Philippines, protest leader Mong Palatino warned that "tariff wars and policies of Trump" threatened local industries and people's livelihoods.

In Japan, Trump’s image loomed over the day — quite literally — as a truck in the Tokyo march carried a doll made to resemble him. Demonstrators there called for higher wages, gender equality, health care, disaster relief, a ceasefire in Gaza, and an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Tadashi Ito, a union construction worker, said he feared the rising cost of imported raw materials.

“Everybody is fighting over work, and so the contracts tend to go where the wages are cheapest,” he said. “We think peace comes first. And we hope Trump will eradicate conflict and inequalities.”

Worries over American tariffs

Under overcast skies, about 2,500 union members marched from the Taiwanese presidential office in Taipei, warning that Trump’s tariffs could lead to job losses.

“This is why we hope the government can propose plans to protect the rights of laborers,” said union leader Carlos Wang. An autoworkers’ union carried a cutout car topped with a photo of Trump.

In Manila, thousands of Filipino workers rallied near the presidential palace, where police blocked access with barricades. Protesters demanded wage hikes and stronger protections for local jobs and small businesses.

In Jakarta, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto addressed a cheering crowd at the National Monument Park.

“The government that I lead will work as hard as possible to eliminate poverty from Indonesia,” he said.

Roughly 200,000 workers were expected to take part in May Day rallies across Southeast Asia’s largest economy, according to Said Iqbal, president of the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions.

Istanbul mayor's arrest is focus of protests in Turkey

In Turkey, May Day served as a platform not only for labor rights but for broader calls to uphold democratic values.

Tens of thousands gathered on Istanbul's Asian shore for a rally, where some protested the jailing of Istanbul's opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu. His imprisonment in March sparked the country's largest protests in more than a decade.

Authorities blocked access to central Istanbul and shut down transit lines. Istanbul governor’s office said 384 people had been detained.

Big rallies in Chicago and LA

In Chicago, thousands of people rallied in a West Side park before marching through downtown streets to the lakefront. Some played drums and danced while others chanted “No justice, no peace!” The crowd included union workers, immigrant rights advocates, pro-Palestinian activists and students calling for better-funded public schools.

Latrina Barnes, a 48-year-old certified nurses assistant, said worries that Medicaid and Medicare might be affected under the Trump administration inspired her to protest in a May Day rally for the first time. “We need to stand up and fight back,” she said.

Some used humor to protest, including a Trump puppet, an inflatable Trump baby chicken and a Trump pinata shaped like a bull.

Hoisting signs saying “Immigrants make America great,” “Migration is beautiful” and “It’s not the time to be silent,” thousands of demonstrators marched peacefully through downtown Los Angeles. With bands playing and flags waving, the gathering had the feel of a celebration.

The march began after a number of speakers demanded elected officials protect workers’ and immigrants’ rights. With the slogan “One Struggle, One Fight — Workers Unite,” the event was organized by the Los Angeles May Day Coalition, made up of labor unions and community-based groups.

“We’re bringing the fight to the billionaires and politicians who are trying to divide us with fear and lies," said April Verrett, president of the Service Employees International Union, which represents 2 million workers.

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Kageyama reported from Tokyo.

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Associated Press journalists Suman Naishadham in Madrid, Nicolas Garriga and Masha Macpherson in Paris, Jamey Keaten in Geneva, Joeal Calupitan in Manila, Philippines, Andrew Wilks in Istanbul, Turkey, Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sophia Tareen in Chicago, Jaimie Ding in Los Angeles and Taijing Wu in Taipei, Taiwan, contributed to this report.