Trump Policy Looms Over May Day Marches05/01 06:13

   

   TOKYO (AP) -- From Tokyo to Taipei to Manila, people across Asia marked May 
Day with marches and protests that spotlighted growing unease over U.S. 
President Donald Trump's policies and fears of global economic instability.

   The holiday, also known as International Workers' Day or Labor Day, honors 
the struggles and achievements of workers and the labor movement. Rallies are 
expected across the United States as well, including in Chicago, Los Angeles, 
New York and Philadelphia.

   Across multiple countries, Trump's agenda was cited as a source of concern. 
In the United States, organizers said their message this year focused on 
fighting Trump's approach targeting immigrants, federal workers and diversity 
initiatives.

   In Taiwan, President Lai Ching-te referenced new U.S. tariffs under Trump as 
he promoted a proposed spending bill aimed at stabilizing the job market and 
supporting livelihoods. In the Philippines, protest leader Mong Palatino warned 
that "tariff wars and policies of Trump" threatened local industries.

   In Japan, some said his policies hung over the day like a shadow, with one 
truck in the Tokyo march featuring a doll that resembled Trump. There, 
participants' demands ranged from higher wages and gender equality to health 
care, disaster relief, a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to Russia's invasion of 
Ukraine.

   "For our children to be able to live with hope, the rights of workers must 
be recognized," said Junko Kuramochi, a member of a mothers' group in Tokyo.

   Tadashi Ito, a union construction worker, said he worried about rising 
prices for 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 about Trump's tariffs

   Under overcast skies in Taipei, about 2,500 Taiwanese union members marched 
from the presidential office, representing sectors from fisheries to 
telecommunications. Protesters warned that Trump's tariffs could cost jobs.

   "This is why we hope that 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.

   President Lai said on Facebook that his government had submitted a 410 
billion New Taiwan dollar ($12.8 billion) bill to support industry and 
stabilize the job market.

   In Manila, thousands of Filipino workers marched near the presidential 
palace, where police blocked access with barricades. Protesters demanded higher 
wages and stronger protections for local jobs and businesses.

   In Indonesia, President Prabowo Subianto greeted thousands of workers who 
cheered him in Jakarta's National Monument Park.

   "The government that I lead will work as hard as possible to eliminate 
poverty from Indonesia," Subianto told the crowd.

   About 200,000 Indonesian workers were expected to take part in May Day 
marches across Southeast Asia's largest economy, according to Said Iqbal, 
president of the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions. They are demanding 
an end to outsourcing rules, wage raises, and protection for domestic workers 
and migrant workers abroad, Iqbal said.

   Istanbul mayor's arrest in 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, as demonstrators planned to protest 
the jailing of Istanbul's opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu. His imprisonment in 
March sparked the country's largest protests in more than a decade, and 
Thursday's public holiday offered the prospect of renewed anti-government 
displays. Authorities blocked access to central Istanbul and shut down transit 
lines. A law association said that more than 200 protesters were arrested 
before midday near Taksim Square, a symbolic rallying point long closed to May 
Day gatherings, including lawyers trying to follow the detentions.

   A big rally planned in LA

   Los Angeles is expected to host one of the world's largest May Day events 
this year, and a banner there summarized the day's theme: "One Struggle, One 
Fight -- Workers Unite!"

   "We're bringing the fight to the billionaires and politicians who are trying 
to divide us with fear and lies. We know the truth -- an attack on immigrant 
workers is an attack on all workers," April Verrett, president of the Service 
Employees International Union, which represents 2 million workers, said in a 
statement.