May Day, or International Workers Day, is commemorated annually on May 1 to celebrate the struggles of laborers and the working class. International Workers' Day is a public holiday in many countries. While particularly popular in Europe and some Middle East nations, the day is becoming increasingly popular in the U.S., as is the propensity for violence.

Rallies and demonstrations by unions, socialists, anarchists and workers organisations are scheduled to be held today in cities and towns across the U.S. and Canada. Several right-leaning national groups plan counter-demonstrations at many major gatherings.

Given the political tensions and vitriol dividing the country, there is high potential for violence, disruption of commerce / traffic and property damage at many of these gatherings.

Security Precautions:

• Monitor local media for updates on demonstrations.
  
• Make contingency travel plans if necessary
  
• Exercise caution if in the vicinity of large gatherings or protests
  
• Avoid demonstrations
  

A comprehensive list of U.S. and Canadian gatherings and events can be found at the following link:

https://itsgoingdown.org/may-day-2018-guide-us-canada/

AlertsUSA will be monitoring these events throughout the day and will issue additional alerts as events warrant.