Street closures announced for planned May Day rally in Philadelphia

Philadelphia is preparing for a planned May Day rally on Friday by shutting down streets and restricting parking in some areas.

The Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO is planning the "Workers Over Billionaires" rally from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at City Hall. A march will follow the rally.

Street closures for Philadelphia May Day rally

The city is planning to close these streets starting at 3 p.m., about 1 hour before the rally:

• John F. Kennedy Boulevard between Juniper Street and 15th Street 
• North Broad Street between John F. Kennedy Boulevard and Arch Street 
• Juniper Street between John F. Kennedy Boulevard and Market Street 

Cars parked on those streets must be moved or they will be relocated. If you believe that your car was towed, you should call the police district where it was parked. This rally will take place in the 9th District.

SEPTA bus detours planned for May Day protest in Center City

Starting at 2:30 p.m. until around 8 p.m. several SEPTA bus routes will be detoured around the area where the protest and march will take place.

These are the routes being detoured: 

• 4
• 16 
• 17 
• 27 
• 32 
• 33 
• 38 
• 48 
• 62
• 124
• 125  

You can get more information on your route on SEPTA's system status page.

What is May Day and what is the message of today's rally?

Demonstrators say they're advocating for increased taxes on billionaires to increase funding for public goods and services, including food assistance. The rally will also promote "unions for all" and "the working people's vision for Philadelphia."

In 2026, May Day actions are planned in other major cities including Chicago. The day, also referred to as International Workers' Day, commemorates the 1886 Haymarket Affair — when a protest for an eight-hour workday turned into a violent clash between demonstrators and police at Chicago's Haymarket Square.

Last year in Philadelphia, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders spoke at the "For Workers, Not Billionaires" rally outside City Hall, which drew thousands of people and shut down streets.