International Labor Day Across the World: A Fight for Workers Rights
by Victoria DeCarmine
Around the world, May 1 is synonymous with International Workers Day or Labor Day, which celebrates the social and economic achievements of the labor movements. In light of the recent economy, angry workers expressed their contempt of governmental inaction through various protests and rallies; some of which turned violent.
First popularized in the former Soviet Union, International Workers Day has now lost many of its communist connotations but still remains as the day when workers groups and unions are especially active and many major strikes are planned on International Workers Day.
The fight for workers' rights is a huge element of International Workers Day, since it has been designated as a commemoration of the 1866 Haymarket Affair. This event which occurred after police opened fire on a group of protesting laborers in Chicago, killing four. A peaceful rally was planned for the day after, but towards the end of the rally a bomb was thrown into the crowd of police - resulting in a dozen casualties - while the officers moved in to disperse the crowds.
Around the globe, people were horrified. To this day, people remember those affected by the Haymarket incidents as martyrs for workers' rights.
Presently, citizens around the world often use International Workers' Day as a day for protest against various political, social, and economic issues. This year is no different, especially in light of the recent economy.
From France to Moscow, workers are beginning to feel the stress of the crumbling economy, and as an indication of that, Inernational Workers' Day protests were in full swing in 2009.
In Paris, a city long since cloaked in the robes of revolution, many labor unions came together for a march that attracted tens of thousands of workers, in addition to 300 smaller protests that took place throughout France. Their aims included calling for greater government action in the face of the faltering economy and they warned that if the government were to keep failing to address their pressing issues, more strikes would ensue.
Police said the turnout in Paris was the highest they had seen in years.
In Italy, instead of violent protests, workers took a more peaceful course. Union leaders held rallies in the earthquake-ravaged town of L'Aquila as a sign of solidarity for those who lost their jobs due to the disastrous effects of the earthquake.
However, not all the protests remained as peaceful as the protest in Italy.
In Turkey, although May 1 was declared a public holiday, police brutality did not cease. In Istanbul, protesters faced water cannons and pepper spray after they were denied access to protest in the city's main square.
A protest in Germany also turned violent as police were pelted with rocks and bottles in Berlin by leftist protesters. In response, rightist protesters hurled fireworks and stones at the rioting leftist protesters and police force.
In Athens, police used grenades to break up violent protesters after they vandalized banks and traffic cameras. Although there have been no injuries or arrests reported yet, the transportation workers strike has halted bus, train, and ferry services in the city.
In Russia, communists and liberals united in Moscow to heavily criticize their government. The communists gathered under a statue of Karl Marx and called for the government to step down due to its mismanagement of the economy.
However, the largest number of protesters in Russia consisted of members of the United Russia Party, who expressed their concern about the economy, but held back from criticizing the government.
Due to the fact that this was the first International Workers' Day since the open declaration of the faltering economy, the degree of frustration among workers was especially high. Airing their grievances through multiple platforms brought workers all over the world together in solidarity against the inaction of many governments.
