Mayday 2014: reports from around the world

Turkey, May 1st 2014.
Turkey, May 1st 2014.

With International Workers' Day taking place in a world riven by economic crisis, we're sharing short reports, pictures and videos on May Day protests and celebrations around the world.

Submitted by Ed on May 1, 2014

Below are some short reports, pics or videos of May Day protests. Let us know if you've seen any more!

Ankara, Turkey

Bologna, Italy

The tweet above says "There's nothing to celebrate for the precarious, students and workers".

Istanbul, Turkey
Massive fighting between police and protesters as upwards of 30 groups defy a ban on demonstrations.

Turin, Italy
[youtube]lYNN-Ui6xtI[/youtube]

Scuffles also broken out with violent police attacks. For videos of the day, see here and here.

Pnomh Penh, Cambodia
Around 1,000 factory workers demonstrate against low wages, and are attacked by police with five workers injured.

May Day rallies demand reform; 5 hurt in Cambodia

In Phnom Pehn, civilian auxiliary police, armed with clubs and often used by the government to break up protests, turned on the demonstrators after opposition leaders spoke to the crowd of nearly 1,000. The assaults appeared to be random and limited, and were over in less than an hour.

At least five people were hurt, said Om Sam Ath, an officer of the human rights group Licadho.

“These security forces seem to be addicted to beating people,” he said. “Every time they disperse protesters, they beat people, and not one of them has been arrested.”

Comments

Ed

10 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Ed on May 1, 2014

Some really nice photos of demonstrations are the world here.

Spain

#1DeMayo:Estos serán los oradores del Acto en Plaza de Mayo #DiaDeLosTrabajadores http://t.co/Arwu8NhYXZ vía @Infobae pic.twitter.com/VZxgaTUTFw— Marcela Soler (@PTSPrensa) May 1, 2014

#1demayo ¡El pueblo unido funciona sin partidos! pic.twitter.com/rNgsFmZgaV— CNT-AIT Jaén (@cntjaen) May 1, 2014

Unas 10000 personas en la mani anticapi de Barna #1demayo #1demaig pic.twitter.com/0Nr9vm2ejH— Informática CGT (@Informatica_CGT) May 1, 2014

Ed

10 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Ed on May 1, 2014

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Over 50k throng anti-GST May Day rally

As the rally disperses peacefully at 4.30pm, an estimated 50,000 is reported to have gathered around the streets of Dataran Merdeka in today's May Day rally against the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Several minor scuffles started by fringe youth groups are reported in the following hour, but on the whole the rally has ended peacefully.

Some pics can be found here.

Ed

10 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Ed on May 1, 2014

London, UK

Howevr much you try to change society there will always be men w/ Stalin banners, probably trying to stop you #MayDay pic.twitter.com/ahHr1ItN0f— Andrew (@Andrew__Dolan) May 1, 2014

Mental, as always..

In Trafalgar Square today for #MayDay2014 pic.twitter.com/1zeUfPxznP— Laura (@ambir) May 1, 2014

Detroit, USA

BREAKING: Workers & retirees shutting down the street in Detroit against Emergency Financial Management #MayDay2014 pic.twitter.com/Vel28BPO7v— Occupy Wall Street (@OccupyWallStNYC) May 1, 2014

A #MayDay2014 message from Angry Birds pic.twitter.com/G6WcbDHYC0— Justin Wedes (@justinwedes) May 1, 2014

Kureigo-San

10 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Kureigo-San on May 1, 2014

Ed that first video from Spain is from last year. I'm 100% on that because I was there

Ed

10 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Ed on May 1, 2014

Kureigo-San

Ed that first video from Spain is from last year. I'm 100% on that because I was there

Haha, right, whoops! Sorted now..

Btw, in case it wasn't clear, if people want to post updates from Mayday where they are then that'd be ace.. even if just a few sentences on what went on near them..

Ed

10 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Ed on May 1, 2014

More from Turin

#torino #1maggio che la determinazione della piaza di oggi sia da esempio per l'11 luglio! #renzistaisereno pic.twitter.com/rCyR8d1b4n— Infoaut (@Infoaut) May 1, 2014

Nonostante cariche violentissime lo spezzone sociale si riprende la piazza: via Pd e polizia! #torino #1maggio pic.twitter.com/GuR56xuV6Q— Infoaut (@Infoaut) May 1, 2014

Dal palco di PD CGIL CISL UIL conquistato a spinta dall'opposizione sociale di #torino - #civediamolundici pic.twitter.com/QSNivD3DkH— Infoaut (@Infoaut) May 1, 2014

Demonstrators try to forcibly remove PD (Partito Democratico, like the Labour Party) members from the May Day demonstration, police have to come in to save them..
[youtube]xBIw8gkQNpw[/youtube]

More clashes between police and protesters
[youtube]5KD8DSdkaQA[/youtube]

And in Bologna
Members of base union Cobas (who do lots of organising in the big warehouses in the north) demonstrating for May 1st..

La #Bologna meticcia in piazza per un #1maggio di lotta pic.twitter.com/SCJHotuTjM— Infoaut (@Infoaut) May 1, 2014

Ed

10 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Ed on May 1, 2014

London, UK

Feed the Poor ☠ Eat The Rich #MayDay #London pic.twitter.com/0zllbrSh80— The Black Banner (@blacbanner) May 1, 2014

Turkey
Naples, Italy
Workers and supporters at Leroy Merlin (kind of like B&Q) protesting it being open on a day of public holiday; in the end they manage to hold the demonstration inside the shop..

Ed

10 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Ed on May 1, 2014

Madrid, Spain

#1demayo en Madrid pic.twitter.com/X6wGegF5qX— Informática CGT (@Informatica_CGT) May 1, 2014

Argentina

#1DeMayo El PTS junto al #SindicalismoCombativo marchan ahora a la Plaza de Mayo! Muchos de ellos serán los oradores pic.twitter.com/I4VqtamZDv— Marcela Soler (@PTSPrensa) May 1, 2014

Chicago, USA
Cool banner in Chicago..
Milan, Italy
Turin, Italy

Video of the above picture below, with one demonstrator taking out a policeman with a plank of wood..
[youtube]ADtuR3elNco[/youtube]

Ed

10 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Ed on May 1, 2014

London, UK
Police out in force around UCL in central London to protect Conservative politician David Willetts..

One policeman earlier draws for his taser
Istanbul, Turkey

In this link there's a video from Turkish news of a policeman caught by protesters and given a kicking..

New York, USA

Ed

10 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Ed on May 1, 2014

Jakarta, Indonesia
Los Angeles, USA

Entdinglichung

10 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Entdinglichung on May 2, 2014

as usual, loads of pictures and reports on Solidarité Ouvrière:

http://communismeouvrier.wordpress.com/2014/05/01/premiere-serie-dimages-du-1er-mai-2014/

http://communismeouvrier.wordpress.com/2014/05/02/deuxieme-serie-dimages-du-1er-mai-2014/

http://communismeouvrier.wordpress.com/tag/1-mai/

Sanandaj, Iran:

Chilli Sauce

10 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Chilli Sauce on May 2, 2014

Ed

Kureigo-San

Ed that first video from Spain is from last year. I'm 100% on that because I was there

Haha, right, whoops! Sorted now..

Btw, in case it wasn't clear, if people want to post updates from Mayday where they are then that'd be ace.. even if just a few sentences on what went on near them..

In a small classroom in a language school in London, some students completed a gap-fill to the lyrics of Solidarity Forever.

And that was my contribution to the global proletarian uprising.

John E Jacobsen

10 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by John E Jacobsen on May 3, 2014

Seattle, Washington, USA.

There were several marches. One large march earlier in the day revolving around issues of immigration reform, and another, explicitly anti-capitalist march later at night.

The immigration march was much the same as it has been for years, and the anti-capitalist march went fairly strong for its third year in a row - although reports from friends at the march said parts of it were pretty sketch. Undercovers, lot of guy fawkes masks, etc. Decent article on it here: Seattle May Day 2014: An Anti-Capitalist Tradition!

One thing that does bear explanation - there are some photo's I've included of people dressed as superheros getting into a fist fight with blac block folks. Basically, its exactly what it looks like: Scuffle Between Anarchist And Superhero During Seattle's May Day March.

Anyways, here's some pics/riot porn for you.

http://media.thenewstribune.com/smedia/2014/05/01/20/00/O8Pg0.AuSt.5.JPG

http://media.thenewstribune.com/smedia/2014/05/02/15/28/1356JD.AuSt.5.JPG

http://media.thenewstribune.com/smedia/2014/05/02/15/27/1q5lhw.AuSt.5.JPG

1meidenhaag

10 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by 1meidenhaag on May 3, 2014

Anti-capitalist May Day demo in The Hague, Netherlands. The demo of about 300 people passed through two of the poorest neighborhoods of the country, areas where the local government cut a lot of funding on community centres, libraries, social projects etc, while at the same time installing more police and control measures. Racial profiling and police violence are common in the area.

A lot of people from the neighborhood joined the demo, which succeeded in keeping the initiative and countering police provocation, stopping the demo for a few times until demands (for example for plainclothes cops to leave the area) were met.

http://1meidenhaag.wordpress.com/

first 4 pics by Brandon Jourdan

Caiman del Barrio

10 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Caiman del Barrio on May 3, 2014

I got stuff from Buenos Aires, Caracas, Bogotá and - I think - La Habana in my inbox. Will try to write up tomorrow.

proletarian.

10 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by proletarian. on May 3, 2014

This one'll cheer you up.

[youtube]71haIwprgHY[/youtube]

1meidenhaag

10 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by 1meidenhaag on May 3, 2014

Video from the demo in The Hague, Netherlands:

[youtube]4KeEB95dlBk[/youtube]

Noah Fence

10 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Noah Fence on May 4, 2014

These pictures are just fucking beautiful.

Ed

10 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Ed on May 4, 2014

Parma, Italy

CommieCymraeg

10 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by CommieCymraeg on May 5, 2014

Direct action to celebrate May Day in Cardiff by South Wales Anarchists and Stop NATO Cymru: https://network23.org/stopnatocymru/2014/05/04/anarchists-shut-down-barclays-in-cardiff/