On May 1st, workers around the world took to the streets to celebrate International Workers’ Day, also known as May Day. From Seoul to Paris, Istanbul to Berlin, thousands of workers marched to demand better rights and conditions. In Turkey, police clashed with protesters, using rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowds. Similar scenes unfolded in Paris, where workers protested for higher wages and better conditions, while also voicing opposition to the upcoming Summer Games by torching replica Olympic rings.
Messages of solidarity and demands for change were visible in the banners and signs held by protesters in various cities. From Manila to Colombo, slogans such as “We work to live!!! Not to die!!!” and “Don’t touch the eight-hour workday!” were prominently displayed. In Seoul, protesters criticized President Yoon Suk Yeol’s government for its anti-labor policies and called for change. In Jakarta, Indonesia, workers protested a 2020 law that they say harms their rights and the environment, while in Beirut, a mix of pro-Palestinian marchers and workers demanded an end to economic distress.
Despite facing opposition from authorities and anti-riot police in some cities, workers remained resilient in their demands for better rights and conditions. In Lebanon, young women supporters of the Lebanese Communist party posed for selfies and flashed victory signs as they marched alongside other workers. In Colombo, Sri Lanka, members of the National People’s Power alliance carried placards at a Labor Day rally, calling for change. In courts from Santiago, Chile, to Lahore, Pakistan, workers voiced their demands for better conditions and rights as they marched in solidarity with the global labor movement.
The International Workers’ Day demonstrations also highlighted the diversity of issues facing workers around the world. In Buenos Aires, Argentina, an artist unpacked a giant puppet head depicting President Javier Milei, symbolizing the workers’ frustrations with government policies. In Bogota, Colombia, a mannequin head marked with words related to proposed reforms highlighted the challenges faced by workers in the country. From Caracas, Venezuela, to Taipei, Taiwan, workers carried banners and flags to demand change and better rights for all workers.
As the day of protests came to a close, workers around the world reflected on their solidarity and determination to continue fighting for better conditions and rights in their respective countries. From Tokyo to Asuncion, workers marched with flags and banners, casting shadows on the pavement as a symbolic image of their unified struggle. In Berlin, a couple kissed at the end of the revolutionary May Day demonstration, a moment of solidarity and love amidst the calls for change and better conditions for workers globally.
