Representatives from the May 1 Coalition, Occupy Wall Street and numerous other labor and social justice organizations gathered for a press conference in Manhattan’s Union Square on April 4 to announce a massive May Day rally on Tuesday, May 1 in New York City.

The rally will celebrate May Day, the international workers’ holiday celebrated around the world, and will also call for justice for workers, immigrants and all people.

“We are going to march into the consciousness of the people” said Occupy participant Diego Rivera. “We are going to show that economic class does not determine social worth. We have not been blinded and tricked into thinking the world has to be this way.”

For more than 130 years May 1–May Day - has been observed as a holiday to observe the struggles of working people. It grew out of the struggle for the 8-hour day in Chicago and, though it’s not an official holiday in the U.S., recent years have seen resurgence in May Day demonstrations and celebrations.

This year’s May Day Coalition rally – which is endorsed by 1199SEIU, AFSCME’s DC 37, the Transit Workers Union Local 100 and many other labor and social justice organizations – begins at Union Square at 4:00 pm and will be followed at 5:30 by a march to Wall Street.

All are welcome to attend an organizing meeting on Monday, April 9 at 6 pm which will be held in the auditorium of 1199SEIU’s Manhattan headquarters at 310 W.43rd Street. For more information log onto www.maydaysolidarity2012.org or send an email to info@maydaysolidarity2012.org.