May Day

12 Stories

May Day Rallies Want More of Governments
Workers' Demonstrations
Pressure Governments
photos

Workers' Demonstrations Pressure Governments

Protesters clash with police in cities around the world

(Newser) - Tens of thousands of people marched Sunday in cities around Europe for May Day protests to honor workers and shame governments into doing more for their citizens. In France, protesters shouted slogans against newly reelected President Emmanuel Macron, a development that may set the tone for his second term, the...

Workers Protest Worldwide on May Day
Worldwide Protests
Erupt on May Day

Worldwide Protests Erupt on May Day

Variety of causes, including improved working conditions, draw crowds

(Newser) - Protests on International Workers Day increased in number and intensity this time around, with demonstrators calling for improved working conditions and a series of other changes to help them deal with economic and health problems. Berlin alone had more than 20 demonstrations Saturday, the AP reports, and a few became...

At America's May Day Rallies: Injured Cops, Inflatable Trump

9 arrested, 5 officers hurt in Seattle

(Newser) - May Day rallies across America on Sunday called for rights for workers and immigrants—and in Los Angeles, the protests had a very strong anti-Donald Trump message. Protesters at one LA rally marched under a giant inflatable Trump carrying a Ku Klux Klan hood, and at least one Trump pinata...

18 Arrested in Seattle Protests

8 cops injured in demonstrations that began peacefully

(Newser) - Things started peacefully during May Day protests in Seattle yesterday—but they didn't stay that way. Police arrested 18 people after rocks and pipes were hurled and "smoke devices" lit, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. Eight officers and at least one passerby were injured in the fray, according to...

Pope: Doomed Bangladesh Workers Were 'Slave Labor'

As thousands participate in May Day protests in Dhaka

(Newser) - Pope Francis has strong words on the Bangladesh factory collapse that killed at least 402 people: Workers in the doomed factory were living on just $50 a month, which he condemned as "slave labor" at a private mass this morning, the AP reports. The Telegraph has his full quote:...

Bolivia Seizes Spanish-Owned Power Firm

Morales nationalizes power grid

(Newser) - Bolivian President Evo Morales marked May Day by ordering the country's armed forces to seize the assets of the country's main electricity company. Spanish-owned Red Electrica owned and operated around 85% of Bolivia's power grid, and Morales announced that he was nationalizing the company because it had...

May Day Protesters Clash With Police

'Occupy' marches in Oakland, Seattle elsewhere get physical

(Newser) - Activists across the US joined the worldwide May Day protests today, with Occupy Wall Street members in several cities leading demonstrations and in some cases clashing with police. Some examples:
  • In Oakland, police fired tear gas and "flash-bang" grenades to disperse the crowds, sending protesters fleeing a downtown intersection
...

May Day Protests Sweep the Globe

Russia, Malaysia, Taiwan, France ... the planet marches

(Newser) - May Day rallies are in effect in all corners of the globe, from Greece and Iraq to France and the Philippines—and, soon, stateside. What began as an international workers' holiday has morphed into an international day of protest, fueled in part by the Occupy Wall Street movement, with Asians...

Immigrant Rallies Draw Huge Crowds Across US
 Immigrant Rallies Draw 
 Huge Crowds Across US 
'we are all arizona'

Immigrant Rallies Draw Huge Crowds Across US

LA, Dallas, Chicago and other cities host May Day protests

(Newser) - May Day rallies across the US today drew huge crowds today, as tens of thousands turned up in Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, Phoenix, and scores of other cities to protest Arizona's immigration law and stalled reforms. The LA Times takes note of a T-shirt in the crowd that sums up...

Cops, Protesters Clash at May Day Rallies

(Newser) - Hundreds of thousands of European workers feeling the pinch of the economic crisis rallied at May Day protests today from Moscow to Berlin to Istanbul. Violence and clashes between police and angry protesters disrupted some events, including in Greece, Germany, and Turkey. But overall participation fell short of what many...

France Steels for Raucous May Day

Rising tide of discontent has many French talking about a revolution

(Newser) - France's traditional May Day marches are expected to be bigger and angrier than ever today, the BBC reports. Unemployment nearing 10% has swelled the ranks of the discontented. More than 300 rallies are planned across the country to protest the government's handling of the financial crisis. Many accuse President Nicolas...

Castro Skips May Day Parade
Castro Skips
May Day Parade

Castro Skips May Day Parade

Ailing Dictator was widely expected to make a triumphant comeback

(Newser) - Fidel Castro was a no-show at today's May Day parade in Havana, disappointing Cubans expecting a triumphant comeback appearance. Hundreds of thousands in Revolution Square got only brother Raul, who's been in power since Fidel was stricken by an abdominal ailment nine months ago.

12 Stories
Most Read on Newser