May Day protests planned across Alaska, tied to national ‘Workers Over Billionaires’ movement

By SUZANNE DOWNING

April 27, 2026 – May Day protests and rallies are being organized across Alaska and the rest of America on Friday as part of a coordinated national May Day effort under the “May Day Strong” banner, the NEA, Indivisible, and the Communist Party of America. It’s a combination of labor activism, socialist policy demands, and communist ideological messaging, but this year it will be anti-Trump as its theme.

Events are confirmed and circulating in Alaska communities. In Soldotna, a rally titled “Workers Over Billionaires” is scheduled for 5–7 pm at Soldotna Creek Park. In Juneau, a similar event is planned for 5 pm at Overstreet Park near “The Whale” sculpture. Organizers are also promoting gatherings in Anchorage and Fairbanks, with additional events expected to be added through online platforms like Mobilize.us and Indivisible.

These are some of the same groups tied to the “No Kings” rallies from 2025 and early 2026. This might be viewed as “No Kings 3.0.”

The Alaska events are part of a nationwide push that organizers say could include more than 3,500 demonstrations, ranging from marches and rallies to coordinated “non-cooperation” efforts such as “No Work, No School, No Shopping” actions.

Promotional materials and organizing toolkits for the May 1 events outline a set of core demands, including taxing wealthy individuals, opposing federal immigration enforcement through calls to “ICE Out,” and expanding what organizers describe as democratic participation while reducing corporate influence.

Toolkits have been sent to schools to get students organized as well. It’s likely there will be school walkouts on Friday.

But beyond the public-facing messaging, documents tied to the organizing effort show a deeper level of coordination and strategy. The organizing kits distributed through activist networks and education groups lay out detailed guidance for participants, including how to organize protests, target corporations, and coordinate messaging.

One widely circulated planning document describes May Day as a “coordinated day of action” aimed at confronting what organizers call a “billionaire takeover” of the country. It encourages tactics such as rallies, protests at corporate sites, and organized school events where participants gather outside before converging into buildings together to loudly air their grievances with policies.

This is the same messaging that senatorial candidate Mary Peltola is repeatedly using on Alaskans.

Suzanne Downing: While Peltola rails against billionaires, the billionaires line up to back her

Another section of the materials advises activists on how to stage “corporate actions,” including identifying business targets, engaging media, distributing flyers, and directing foot traffic away from certain businesses. While the guidance includes reminders to remain on public sidewalks and avoid blocking access, the overall strategy emphasizes visibility and disruption as key tools.

The scope and tone of the organizing effort reflect a broader ideological push that goes well beyond traditional labor advocacy. Some of the rhetoric and training materials are linked to groups aligned with explicitly socialist frameworks, and draw from longstanding May Day traditions associated with communist and labor movements worldwide.

The involvement of large national organizations is also of interest to Alaskans. The National Education Association, the country’s largest teachers’ union, has provided more than $1.7 million over time to one of the training groups involved in the organizing network. That means teachers are paying for these protest through their dues to the union.