May Day 2008 Parades
06 May 2008 20:27 GMTSince 2001, Euro May Day Parades on the 1st of May have spread all around Europe.
mayday parade 08
The May Day Parade is a transnational march which expresses the common will to fight the precarity of work and the criminalization of migrants, to make the daily struggles of the precarious visible. Every year hundred thousands of people protest against the precarity of work and life in a context where worktime can be expanded with no limits, and where migrant workers are the most precarious of all workers. This year, the EuroMayDay network called for a joined parade in Aachen, where, on the same day, French president Nicolas Sarkozy and German chancellor Angela Merkel received the Charlemagne prize. Referring to Charlemagne as the founder of Western culture, it honours people for their contribution to European unificaton. In Hamburg, one thousand nazis tried to recuperate the MayDay, ten thousands antifa met there and cancelled the nazi demo in the most violent riots in Hamburg since 80's. In Milano, there was 100.000 people in the euromayday parade [ video ].
In US, tens of thousands marched and held demonstrations on Thursday 1st of may, calling for an end to war and dignity for immigrants and workers. Dockworkers on the west coast defied their union bosses and staged a one day strike against the war, effectively shutting down all port activity [ pics ]. High school and university students staged walkouts in Venice and San Francisco. Protesters also called out unjust military recruiting and defended public housing.
In New-Zealand, near Blenheim, ploughshares penetrate Waihopai base and deflate satellite dome.
MayDay Parades and Immigrant marches were held all around the world:
Aachen [ pics and french ], Berlin [ 2 ], Copenhagen, Hanau, Hamburg [ video ], Helsinki [ video ], Lisboa, Madrid, Malaga and Sevilla, Maribor, Milano [ pics and italian ], Napoli, Nottingham, Palermo, Terrassa [ english ], Tubingen, Wien,
Arcata, Boston MA, Los Angeles, New York, Direct Action to Stop the War Plans Protests for Military Recruitment and ICE Offices, VFP Troop Outreach Actions, Houston TX, Portland OR, Rochester NY, San Francisco CA, Santa Cruz / Watsonville, Santiago, Seattle, Washington DC, more on US-IMC
Tokio [ pics - video ], Sapporo, Jakarta
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pArAsite 06.May.2008 22:46
great feature, but you omitted the mayday bloody repression in istanbul
maydaymayday 07.May.2008 12:27
above a mainstream news report and below the letter the union is sending around to gather solidarity against vicious repression.
MAYDAY IN TURKEY: UNDER DE FACTO SEIGE
Dear Comrades,
Once more "the freedom of association", "the freedom of assembly" and
"fundamental trade union rights" were violated by the Turkish
Government. Attitude of the government towards May Day 2008 was a
clear infringement of ILO Convention No. 87 and No. 98.
Three major Turkish trade union confederations, TÜRK-İŞ, DİSK and KESK
– all affiliates to both the ITUC and the ETUC – decided to celebrate
International Workers' Day together.
.The police used batons and pepper spray, tear gas and water cannons
on workers, public employees, students gathered in front of the
Headquarter of DİSK and on crowds intending to march to Taksim Square
where they had planned to lay carnations in memory of the 37 workers
killed by police during May Day 1977. May Day celebrations in Taksim
Square have been banned by the government since 12th September 1980
coup d'etat. However other celebrations such as New Year's Eve, Police
Day and other some demonstrations are allowed to take place there.
During the all day, every corner of the city was under blockade and
many people including many public employee trade unionists were
subjected to "disproportionate force" The Taksim Square was enclosed
with barriers
38 people were seriously injured and 530 people were taken into
custody in accordance with the official data. Before the
demonstrations started at 06.30 am, the riot police assaulted the
people met in front of the Headquarter of DİSK. The building of DİSK
was under blockade and was full of gas due to the teargas thrown into
the building although the government knew that there were hundreds of
people inside the building. Because of the police blockade,
approximately 1500 people were not able to leave the building for
several hours. The police used tear gas even in the hospitals.
All these happenings are the product of the mentality of the police
state. Unless the fundamental freedoms and rights of the trade unions
are not guaranteed, the enhancement of democracy in our country is
impossible.
We believe in the emergency of the intervention to this
anti-democratic situation. We kindly ask for you to send letters to
prime ministry to condemn what happened in 1st of May 2008 in
Istanbul.
Thank you very much for your solidarity and support.
Yours sincerely,
Ismail Hakkı Tombul
President
Kamu Emekçileri Sendikaları Konfederasyonu
Çehre Sokak, No: 6/1, GOP, Ankara
Tel: 0090 312 436 71 11
Fax: 0090 312 436 74 70
info for condemnation letters, messages, faxes, calls:
Mr. Reccep Tayyip Erdogan
Prime Minister
Republic of Turkey
Ankara / Turkey
Fax: 0090 312 417 04 46 / 0090 312 417 94 76 / 0090 312 419 11 56
E-mail:
Indonesia, Jakarta Anarchist May Day Carnival Repressed: Hundreds 187 arrested
IMC Jakarta 08.May.2008 11:15
187 of anarchists and students from Anti-Authoritarian Network were arrested on may day parade in Jakarta but already released at midnight. One of Polish anarchist who attend the demonstration also arrested and were deported.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26443649@N08/page3/
photos: