Over 30 students gathered Friday afternoon at Hayden Lawn as part of the nationwide May Day movement, protesting labor conditions at ASU and broader political issues.
Protests are held nationwide on May 1, known as International Workers' Day, encouraging people to refuse "business as usual" by not engaging in school, work or shopping, according to the May Day Strong website.
Protesters marched around campus chanting "Money for jobs and education, not for war and deportation," and "It is our duty, it is our right. Strike, strike, strike, strike."
Hypatia Meraviglia, a member of the United Campus Workers of Arizona union and a doctoral student studying geological sciences, said rising costs in Tempe without increased pay have made life more difficult, particularly for graduate students at ASU.
"The cost of simply working here is going up, and our pay is not," Meraviglia said. "We're fighting for our pay to, at the minimum, stay pace with cost of living in Tempe."
They added that graduate students in their program have not received a raise since January 2025, despite upcoming increases to student fees and other costs.
"At the end of the day, if it's just Michael Crow who works at ASU, he can't do anything — he can't teach the classes, he can't feed the food, he can't do all of this," Meraviglia said. "It's the workers who make this university run, and we deserve to have dignity."
Kyah Antolos, a member of the Student Worker Alliance at ASU and a sophomore studying psychology, said she skipped work to attend the protest. She said it is important for students to show support for the demonstration.
"It's great that people who believe in our message are able to come out and they're able to risk taking off school or taking off work just to come out here and fight for what they believe is just," Antolos said.
READ MORE: ASU students express support and skepticism for protest effectiveness
The march attracted a small group of counter-protesters, including Zev Greenberg, a freshman studying finance. He said he lived in Israel for five years and believes the protesters are misguided.
"They're just spreading misinformation," he said. "I think their heart is truly in the right space. They care about people, but they just don't know what they're talking about."
Campus workers also attended the protest, including members of UNITE HERE Local 11, the union representing ASU food service employees currently in contract negotiations with Aramark.
Vanessa Martinez, an employee at the Panda Express on the Downtown Phoenix campus, said workers have been negotiating for better pay, benefits and working conditions.
She said employees raised concerns about conditions but saw no changes, prompting them to file a complaint with the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health in late March and organize a work stoppage to be "taken seriously."
READ MORE: Downtown ASU Panda Express workers walk out due to 'non-functioning air conditioning'
At the time, an ADOSH spokesperson said the situation was under investigation. An Aramark spokesperson said in a written statement that the company was committed to maintaining a safe environment and was working with the University to investigate and address the matter.
"No one should have to risk their health and safety for a job, for a paycheck," Martinez said. "No one should end up on the streets because they work 40 hours and it's still not enough."
Ean Meloch, a freshman studying music therapy, said he noticed a decline in public attention toward political issues. Meloch added it is important to communicate and organize as a means of countering apathy.
"We have love for other people, and that's why we're here," Meloch said. "If you have love for other people, I think it's your responsibility to stand up and fight for people, even if it's not your own fight."
Edited by Carsten Oyer, Senna James, Kate Gore and Pippa Fung.
Reach the reporters at mmart533@asu.edu and swang496@asu.edu.
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Quinn is currently a first-year Barrett student studying Business Data Analytics & Supply Chain Management with a minor in fashion. She is the Professional Development Intern for ASU's DECA Chapter and a part of Phi Alpha Delta in addition to being a politics reporter at the State Press.
MJ Martinez is a senior reporter at The State Press. She has worked for the paper for 3 semesters, working previously as a SciTech Reporter.
