Rally demands dignity, power on the job

More than a thousand people marched through Richmond on Labor Day, blocking streets during a “Workers Over Billionaires” rally that called for better rights and protections for the working class. 

Before the march, residents from across Virginia gathered at Monroe Park for speeches and a rally to denounce the wealthy and their political allies and to show support for fellow workers. Carrying signs and chanting, the crowd then marched out from the park. 

Demonstrators gather at Monroe Park in Richmond on Monday for the “Workers Over Billionaires” Labor Day march. 

 

Semi-retired Ashland artist J.P. Murphy said he joined the rally to oppose the Trump administration, particularly recent arrests and deportations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 

Murphy, a Coast Guard veteran with family ties to worker strikes and union organizing, carried a “Do Not Let ICE Enter” poster modeled after a Carytown street sign. 

“Labor has got to stand up for their rights. That’s all there is to it,” he said. 

Gale Mumford, Anna Riddle and Al Brookwell cheer and wave as they march west down Broad Street during the “Workers Over Billionaires” Labor Day March. Spectators watch from Broad Street apartments as hundreds of demonstrators move through the city.

 The rally was organized by RVA Indivisible and the 50501 Movement, with representatives from the ACLU of Virginia, state and national labor groups and other organizations on hand to provide resources for attendees. 

The day’s events were similar to a rally held in Monroe Park during International Workers’ Day in May. That rally also featured over a thousand people marching down the streets of Richmond, and both events were part of larger protests held nationwide. 

VCU freshmen Staret Leverson, Mahkala Twine and Kior Johnson joined the protest in Monroe Park while on their way to grab dinner and made their way to the front of the march. 

But while both protests focused on the importance of workers and building solidarity, the need for action was emphasized even more as those present addressed what they described as the exploitation they and others have faced for years, and that has intensified in 2025. 

“The Trump administration is not the beginning of this,” said Richmond Democratic Socialists of America Labor Co-Chair Sean Bridge. “They have just removed the fancy slogans and the feel-good false promises from their execution.” 

“Only together can we fight,” Bridge said, “but only when we’re organized can we win.”