If the 1st of May is a holiday in your part of the world and you look forward to some relaxation as a respite from the rigors of work, it would be interesting to note that this day is surrounded by a wealth of history. Termed ‘May Day’, the 1st of May is literally a ‘red’ letter day thanks to the communist and social activism that slapped it onto our calendars. Demonstrations and rallies by workers, trade unions and left-oriented political parties protesting unemployment, poor wages, shoddy employee benefits, etc., usually mark a typical May Day ‘celebration’.
May Day has its Roots in American Labor History
As surprising as it might seem, May Day did not originate in the communist bastions of the Soviet Union, Cuba or China. It stems from the labor history of capitalistic USA. How did this come about? The answer warrants some time travel and the destination-year is as far back as 3rd May, 1886. Our destination city: Chicago; the hometown of current President Barack Obama. We disembark into the scene of a passionate demonstration by workers clamoring for an eight-hour day but must run for cover when a bomb is hurled into the gathering followed by a round of gun-fire. We later hear that at least seven policemen and four workers were killed. It is time for us to hurtle back to the safer confines of the ‘present’ and we hastily exit through the chaos and confusion.
Outraged by the devastation, the higher-ups in the business classes called for immediate action. Martial law was imposed on the city and labor leaders were rounded up along with those accused of being responsible for inducing the mass convergence. Eight men were charged and seven of them received death sentences. The events of 3rd May, 1886 have since been referred to as the ‘Haymarket Riot’.
The Second International; a loose federation of the world's socialist parties, met in Paris on the anniversary of the ‘Haymarket Riots’ for a session of its first congress and openly called for worldwide demonstrations in 1890. A year later, May Day was formally born. Today, it is also known as International Workers’ Day or Labor Day.
Looking Back at Worldwide May Day Rallies in 2010
Violent protests marked the 2010 May Day in Greece when trade unions and left-wing parties protested the austerity measures undertaken by the government to resolve the country’s issues with debt. In Romania, protesters demanded the resignation of the prime minister over rising unemployment and poverty while dipping wages rallied protesters in Taiwan. Clashes broke out between protesters and police in Chile while the banned ultra-nationalist group, the National Bolsheviks, took out a black flag march in Russia. Interestingly, demonstrations were held in Los Angeles as protesters demonstrated against an anti-immigration law that was passed in Arizona. In communist Cuba, processions were taken-out as a show of support for the government.
To quote Eugene V. Debbs from a May Day edition of the Weekly Worker published on April 27th, 1907, “This is the first and only International Labor Day. It belongs to the working class and is dedicated to the Revolution.”
Sources:
- The History of May Day (Marxists.org) – accessed on 25th April, 2011
- What is May Day? (NBC Chicago) – accessed on 25th April, 2011
- May Day Rallies (BBC News) – accessed on 25th April, 2011
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