Waterbury May Day: We are the Resistance

The May Day rally/celebration on the Waterbury Green was full of militant energy and excitement. A

father/son duo played Congo drums as people arrived. People rocked and rolled as they signed in.

Bilal Tajildeen, one of the organizers, introduced MC Kay Munoz. She had great energy and spoke in

both English and Spanish. With placards, some in Spanish,“Aqui Estamos y Nos Vamos,” and some in English, “Fund Healthcare Not Wars,” “Power To The People,” and “Tax Billionaires,” waving in the evening light, Kay told a personal story. With emotion she explained how her grandfather, suffering a great deal of pain, worked so hard to support the extended family.

Naugatuck Valley Project representive Karime Pimentel spoke in Spanish while Jacqueline Bayas translated in English. She shared the plight of Domestic Workers. The highlight was how they rallied at the legislature to demand sick days and won! In the process, their profession was acknowledged and respected.

On the Green, labor/community educator Steve Schrag set up a table full of registration voter forms and a box asking people to check off a form rating the President’s job. Steve invited the crowd to sign up for a teach-in on May 19th from 6-8 pm at The People Center, Waterbury.

Carpenters Union representative Mike Iacoviello explained the history of May Day. He shared that everyone should have not just a living wage but a thriving wage. Also present was Kit Salazar Smith, staunch unionist and recently anointed Naugatucks’ 2026 Earth Day Mayor for the Day. Starting in the 1990s, Kit fought for and helped win the creation of Naugatuck’s Passive Park/Nature Preserve and the green jobs it generated.

Rapping up the presentations, Ryan Hendricks, recruited by Maribel Rodriguez, performed a poem about working people. He put it together in less than 2 weeks. It was a big hit with the crowd.

With Congo drums playing in the background, people marched and chanted in English and in Spanish around the Green. The energy was palpable and the time enjoyed by all.

– Maribel Rodriguez