Close to 1,000 demonstrators filled the streets of downtown San Bernardino on May 1 as labor advocates, immigrant rights supporters and environmental justice organizations joined together for a large-scale May Day march focused on workers’ rights, immigration policies and community issues affecting the Inland Empire.
The demonstration was organized by the People’s Collective for Environmental Justice alongside several regional groups, including the Warehouse Workers Resource Center, Inland Empire Labor Institute, Inland Empire Labor Council and the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice. Participants gathered at Feldheym Public Library before beginning the march around 1:30 p.m.
Marchers moved through the downtown area, making stops near San Bernardino City Hall and the city’s Immigration Field Office before converging at the intersection of E Street and Rialto Avenue. Protesters temporarily blocked traffic while chanting, holding signs and listening to speakers during the afternoon rally.
May Day, also recognized internationally as International Workers’ Day, traces its roots back to labor demonstrations connected to the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago and the push for an eight-hour workday. In recent years, May Day events throughout the United States have increasingly tied together issues involving labor rights, immigration reform, affordable living and public safety concerns.
San Bernardino resident Ron Alvarado, who is currently running for the city’s First Ward council seat, said he attended the march to advocate for stronger labor protections and community-centered development projects.
“I’m here because I want to stand for the community, for public sector jobs, for living wage jobs and for community benefit agreements,” Alvarado said during the event.
Alvarado said local leaders need to focus more on keeping tax revenue and economic opportunities within San Bernardino neighborhoods. He added that developers should be required to create agreements that directly benefit residents through better wages and job opportunities.
Ontario resident Andrea Galvan said the event highlighted how closely labor issues, environmental concerns and immigration policies are connected throughout the region.
“I’m here today to be part of this movement of labor groups, immigrant rights groups and environmental justice groups that have come together across the Inland Empire to fight for our communities,” Galvan said. “All of these issues are connected.”
Galvan said residents deserve cleaner air, safer neighborhoods and fair treatment for workers while also ensuring immigrant families feel welcomed and protected.
Fontana resident Luz Perez, who is also running for city council in Fontana, said immigration enforcement actions have created fear for many local families and negatively impacted small businesses.
“It has really affected our communities, especially our small businesses,” Perez said. “People are afraid to come out, and families are living in fear.”
Perez said demonstrators were urging leaders to end immigration raids and expand protections for immigrant communities throughout the Inland Empire.
Even as temperatures climbed throughout the afternoon, marchers from communities including San Bernardino, Fontana and Ontario continued walking through downtown streets while carrying banners and chanting in support of workers and immigrant families.
Organizers said the turnout reflected the Inland Empire’s growing labor and community activism movement, particularly in a region heavily impacted by warehouse industry growth, air quality concerns and immigration-related issues.
For many attendees, the demonstration served as both a show of solidarity and a call for broader investment in working-class communities, safer neighborhoods and stronger protections for immigrant residents across the region.
