‘The Pulse’ on May Day protests, school shootings and a local medical breakthrough

Thousands of workers, activists and community members across Montgomery County marked this first day of May, also known as May Day with rallies and protests calling for stronger labor protections, economic fairness and workers’ rights in the wake of mass federal firings in the Washington, D.C. metro regions where Maryland workers were some of people hit hardest.

In this week’s episode of The Pulse, we report from the site of an active Silver Spring rally, where protesters gathered along the I-495 overpass as part of a nationwide “Workers Over Billionaires” movement to mark the occasion, which is associated with a May 1, 1886 labor union rally in Chicago that ultimately led to 8-hour workdays in the United States.

Organizers at the scene told MCM News the demonstrations are intended to highlight economic inequality, labor concerns and the rising cost of living impacting families across Maryland and the country. Their mantra for the day was, “no work, no school, shopping.” MCM News reporters Maryam Shazad and Cristina Caicedo Smit collected interviews from various rally sites around the county, adding color commentary to the show.

This episode also features an arrest update on Wednesday’s Blake High School shooting, a Germantown TRY-athalon for kids with disabilities and details on an inspiring new stem cell medical therapy for people living with sickle cell disease and the story of one Montgomery County woman who is one of the first in the state to undergo the treatment.

Watch “The Pulse on May Day Protests, MCPS School Safety and a Medical Breakthrough” now.