Labor Day demonstrations in Indianapolis protest billionaires and neo-Nazis

People hit the streets of downtown Indianapolis Labor Day in support of workers and opposed to numerous state and national issues.

A crowd of people gathered at the Indiana State House Labor Day with chats of "No Kings" and "People over Profit."  The rally drew over 100 people, joining thousands across the country in the so-called ‘Workers over Billionaires’ protests.

Caroline Hamilton is an organizer with Indiana Resistance, a branch of the national 50501 movement that has held other protests at the statehouse in recent months.

“We really wanted to give this protest back to the people of Indiana,” Hamilton said. “We really need the people that are driving by, honking and showing support, and the people showing up at events, to get out and vote.”

She said people told her they want more opportunities to get involved in Indiana.  At least a dozen other events were held around the state Monday.

At Monday’s event, people marched around the Capitol holding signs that read "Release the Files" and "Immigrants Make America Great."

The rallies were organized by a coalition of groups — including the AFL-CIO — that are holding demonstrations in protest of Trump administration policies ranging from immigration to redistricting.

An anti-Nazi demonstration on Monument Circle had a strong police presence. The rally was in response to a small march of armed neo-Nazis a few weeks ago.

Max Haddad, an organizer of the Monday demonstration, said it had a singular message in response to neo-Nazi march last month.

“This is Indianapolis citizens — whether they be on the left, the middle on the right — saying, ‘It doesn’t matter how you vote, we stand against Nazis. We are not for Nazis here,” he said.

About 50 people, some armed, attended that demonstration on the circle.

Contact WFYI reporter Zak Cassel at zcassel@wfyi.org and WFYI editor Jill Sheridan at jsheridan@wfyi.org.