Hundreds of protectors took to the streets of downtown Chicago on Tuesday in a May Day protest against economic inequality and corporate influence in government.

Led in part by Occupy Chicago, the local branch of the larger Occupy Wall Street protest movement, the May Day rally began at the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank, where protesters carried signs criticizing the U.S. banking system.

Protesters then moved to Chicago's Union Park, where they were joined by others for a mass labor and human rights rally that drew as many as 1,000 people.

After listening to keynote speeches from several local activists, hundreds of protesters then marched two miles to Chicago's Federal Plaza.

The May Day protests come just three weeks before the May 20-21 NATO Summit in Chicago, when protesters are planning an even larger demonstration.