Mayday
Churchill, the Cenotaph and May Day 2000 - Practical History
This response to the graffitiing of official monuments in London on May Day 2000 looks at the origins of war memorials in the social conflicts at the end of World War One and at the myth of the Second World War as an anti-fascist crusade. See also A good day out in London? for further reflections on May Day 2000.
"The destruction of representational images is the destruction of a hierarchy that is no longer recognised... The solidity of the images was the expression of their permanence. They seem to have existed for ever, upright and immovable; never before had it been possible to approach them with hostile intent.
A good day out in London? Some reflections on May Day 2000 - Practical History
Reflections on the May Day 2000 actions in London and the development of the anti-capitalist movement.
This was written as a contribution to a collection of articles called 'Reflections on May Day'. Unfortunately it didn't make it into the magazine as I missed the publication deadline. This was not just due to me slacking - I was hesitant about the content because the conclusion of 'well it wasn't so bad' didn't seem to be saying very much.
Birth of a Holiday: The First of May - Eric Hobsbawm
Marxist historian Eric Hobsbawm's account of the international celebration of Mayday.
In 1990 Michael Ignatieff, writing about Easter in the Observer, observed that 'secular societies have never succeeded in providing alternatives to religious rituals'.
Mayday, Work, Anti-capitalism
Short text on the nature of the anti-capitalist movement, economic crisis and the negation of the proletariat.
In central London on Mayday, protesters demonstrate against multinationals (and much besides) while in America, tens of thousands of workers are laid off as the economy goes into crisis. The capitalist economy does more damage to itself than do the protests.
Maybe spoof newspaper, 2000
Spoof of the Metro newspaper produced by Reclaim The Streets to advertise the May Day 2001 "guerrilla gardening" demonstrations.
Mayday march attacked by police in Istanbul
The Turkish state cracked down heavily on an attempt to celebrate May Day in Istanbul. Here is a minute by minute report.
Fearing workers insistence on celebrating Labor Day, police started its attacks early in the morning. At 6:30AM, the police attacked workers gathering in front of DISK (Progressive Labor Union’s Confederation). Police used tanks and pepper gas against the workers waiting peacefully in front of their unions.
Ending a war: Inventing a movement: Mayday 1971
After SDS committed political suicide, and after the Jackson and Kent State shootings, one of the largest mass direct actions in US history took place under the slogan "If the Government won't stop the war, we'll stop the Government."
Ending a war: Inventing a movement: Mayday 1971
Kauffman, L A
Morocco: Mayday solidarity protest attacked
Auxiliary forces using boots and truncheons attacked the peaceful sit-in outside the Moroccan Parliament building last Friday.
The protest was organised by the Moroccan association for human rights (AMDH) after a call by the National Solidarity group for the Mayday Detainees (INSAD), those arrested at May Day include workers, unionists, students and the unemployed.
Celebrate May Day on the basis of internationalism, 2007
The text published here is Internasyonalismo's - an internationalist group in the Philippines - statement on the significance of May Day.
Celebrate May Day on the basis of internationalism
In the whole world, we can see various organizations, parties and states observing May Day, the international working class day this year. We can read and hear different statements and saw mobilizations from these organizations paying lip service to the gravedigger of capitalism.
Violence at Iranian mayday celebrations
Security forces attacked workers celebrating May Day in different cities across Iran.
In Tehran, in which only the government-sponsored Workers’ House is legally permitted to hold rallies, thousands of workers with independent slogans participated in the event at the Shiroodi (former Amjadie) stadium and did not let the official event conclude. Alireza Mahjoub, the head of the Workers’ House, was interrupted by chanting workers and could not finish his speech.
