Millions of workers marched in May Day demonstrations around the world Friday, celebrating international proletarian solidarity.
In Greece, 6,000 people marched in a peaceful demonstration in Athens. In central Athens, 4,000 policemen were deployed, as authorities feared a possible replay of the December riots that followed the shooting death of 15-year-old Alexis Grigoropoulos. Police fired teargas at a group of demonstrators from Athens Polytechnic, which had been at the center of the December demonstrations.
An estimated 1 million people (450,000 according to police) marched in hundreds of demonstrations in France. The demonstration in Paris drew 165,000 marchers, carrying banners reading “Sarko [President Nicolas Sarkozy] promised us, Sarko lied” and “We won’t pay for the bankers.”
There were also marches in big cities in Spain, burdened with the highest unemployment rate in Europe — 17 percent. More than 65,000 people, according to organisers, gathered in the centre of Madrid in a demonstration run by the country’s two largest trade unions.
In Italy, union leaders shifted rallies from major cities to the earthquake-stricken town of L’Aquila, as a sign of solidarity with the thousands who have lost their jobs since last month’s deadly quake.
In Germany, the DGB trade union federation mobilised its entire organisation this May Day to proclaim its willingness to work with the government to ensure that the traditional demonstrations proceeded peacefully. However, there were reports of violent clashes and injuries in demonstrations in Berlin and Hamburg.
According to its own figures, the DGB organised around 400 demonstrations and rallies across Germany. Participation at the rallies was increased in a number of cities by large delegations of foreign workers.
The German Social Democratic leaders did not speak at the main meeting in Bremen. But SPD chairman Franz Müntefering spoke at the DGB rally in Wuppertal and SPD foreign minister and chancellor candidate Frank-Walter Steinmeier spoke in Ludwigshafen.
The May Day meetings and rallies in Germany have been traditionally used by the trade unions and the SPD to cover their political tracks and talk “left.” But as the financial crisis deepens—and the active role of both organisations in the destruction of jobs, wages and working conditions becomes evident—such a balancing act is becoming increasingly difficult. Despite the rapid growth of unemployment in Germany in the past months the low participation at the rallies in Germany is testimony to the growing credibility crisis of the trade union bureaucracy.
In Russia, 25,000 marchers gathered for rallies in Moscow, led by trade unions and the Russian Communist Party. They rallied around a statue of Karl Marx and called for the resignation of the government. Police arrested 120 marchers at a demonstration in St. Petersburg.
Rally in Turkey
In Turkey, 2,000 demonstrators marched into Taksim Square, for the first May Day demonstration since the government legalized the holiday last year. Police fired tear gas and water cannon and charged hundreds on the square—the site of a May 1, 1977 massacre of demonstrating workers by unidentified gunmen.
Latin American countries celebrate May Day
Latin Americans held marches, rallies and other events on Friday to mark the May Day, during which workers also expressed their demand and concerns.
In Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela, thousands of workers marched to the city center near the Miraflores Palace, headquarters of the Venezuelan government, from three separate locations.During the march followers of President Hugo Chavez shouted "we are majority, we are joyous."
May day rally in Caracas
Panama, unions celebrated May Day with marches and rallies in the historic Cinco de Mayo Square in Panama City. During the events, workers demand salary increase, freedom of unions, better working condition and called for a constitutive process for Panama's May 3 elections. The Single Workers union of Construction and Similar (Suntracs) urged the Panamanian government to raise the workers' salaries.
Cuban leader Raul Castro, along with more than 2,000 friends of Cuba from 70 countries and 200 unions across the world, attended the May Day celebration with a slogan "united, productive and efficient" in Revolution Square in Havana.
General Secretary from the Workers Central of Cuba (CTC) Salvador Valdes Mesa reaffirmed Cuban workers' support for the Socialism under the leadership of Cuban former leader Fidel Castro and leader Raul Castro.
Meanwhile, a traditional parade, led by professors, students as well as health care workers, which are considered important parts of the Cuban Revolution, was held.
In Honduras, thousands of workers shouted "Entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs pay a good salary", "people want to talk, let's hold a people's consultation" during a march to celebrate the May Day. The workers also demanded more safety and price cuts in basic products.
In Uruguay, the single workers Union (PIT-CNT) called for unity of the Latin American people and governments in order to tide over the global economic crisis.
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said one of the challenges for her government is to create more jobs amid the world economic crisis at a May Day breakfast with a group of "home advisors" in the Santa Zita foundation.
In Pakistan, there were May Day demonstrations in all the major cities in three provinces, including Quetta, Peshawar, Lahore, Multan and Faisalabad.
In Sindh, the Pakistan People’s Party-led provincial government banned all May Day demonstrations, using as a pretext the ethnic violence that erupted in Karachi on April 29 and resulted in more than 30 deaths. The People’s Labour Bureau, the trade union wing of the PPP, supported the ban.
On thesame day, a government-run job fair offered 200,000 overseas jobs in construction, engineering and other work, attracting thousands of applicants in cities across the country.
In South Korea, 16,000 demonstrators converged on the National Assembly in Seoul, demanding job protection, employment and the resignation of conservative President Lee Myung-bak. Several protesters were detained after clashes with riot police.
In India, workers took part in a May Day march in New Delhi protesting job and wage cuts. The protest was organized by the Indian Federation of Trade Unions. Workers all over the southern state of Kerala observed the day, holding marches and meetings.
In Kolkata, the capital of the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, workers participated in a May Day rally and meeting. They carried placards denouncing India’s foreign policy, imperialism and communalism.
In Chennai, the capital of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, about 2,000 workers participated in a May Day rally and about 3,000 gathered for the meeting at the conclusion of the rally. They were organized jointly by the Center of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), union federations affiliated to two main Stalinist parties, the Communist Party of India (Marxist)—CPM—and the Communist Party of India (CPI) respectively.
Perambur, where the rally and meeting were held, is a working class area in the city. Workers from the Chennai port and docks, as well as railway and municipal workers, bank and insurance workers, rickshaw drivers and workers from various auto manufacturing plants, took part in the rally and meeting. There was also a group of women workers from the unorganized sector. The groups marched under their respective union banners.
In Andhra pradesh also various functions were conducted by trade unions in commemoration of May day. In Karnataka too rallies and meetings were conducted
