Over 100 workers, union members and community advocates gathered at Kiwanis Park on May 1 to mark International Workers’ Day with speeches demanding higher wages, immigrant protections and an end to policies they say harm workers. The event featured speakers from the Airline Pilots Association (AFL-CIO), the Space Coast Immigrant Rights Alliance and the pro-Palestine group Space Coast Progress Hub. Caroline Abidin of the Space Coast Immigrant Rights Alliance opened the rally with a chant in Spanish: “Los inmigrantes son bienvenidos aquí.”
Abidin’s speech tied the event to the 20th anniversary of May 1, 2006, when millions protested HR 4437, an anti-immigrant bill that never passed Congress. She said ICE enforcement under Trump’s policies still disrupts families and fuels fear in Brevard County. “Ending 287(g) agreements with local police is not just about immigration,” Abidin said. “It’s a labor strategy. Our unity is our power.”
Vance Ahrens, co-founder of the Space Coast Progress Hub, linked the Palestinian struggle to workers’ rights, though his remarks were cut off mid-sentence. Organizers emphasized demands for taxing the wealthy, raising minimum wages and protecting immigrant workers. The AFL-CIO representative called for stronger union protections in the aerospace and tourism industries, which employ thousands in Brevard County.
Rallygoers included construction workers, teachers, healthcare workers and students. Some carried signs reading “Workers Over Billionaires” and “No More ICE Raids.” The event drew attention from local media and passed by the Brevard County Administration Building, where officials did not attend. Abidin said the alliance plans to meet with county leaders to push for the 287(g) agreements’ termination, which allow local police to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
The rally concluded with a march through downtown Cocoa, where participants chanted and distributed flyers. Organizers said similar events are planned for Labor Day and the anniversary of the 2006 protest. ‘The fight isn’t over,’ Abidin said. ‘We’re just getting started.’