#GlobalMayDay2022
☆ REPORTS ☆
#1world1struggle
☆ Belfast ☆ Bielefeld ☆ Bonn ☆ Brazil ☆ Bristol ☆ Derry ☆ Dhaka ☆ Dublin ☆ Freiburg ☆ Hamburg ☆ Kolkata ☆ Myanmar ☆ Spain ☆ Stockholm ☆ Yangon [2]☆
May 1st
Brazil
The Federation of Revolutionary Syndicalists in Brazil (FOB) was involved in May Day activities in different cities.
Bonn (Germany)
Around 150 people joined the anarchist May Day rally in Bonn, which was also organized the local Free Workers’ Union (FAU).
Bielefeld (Germany)
The Free Workers’ Union (FAU) Bielefeld arranged its own anarchosyndicalist May Day rally followed by cultural programme in front of their union locality.
Bristol (UK)
Members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) branch in Bristol joined the main May Day rally by the Trade Union Council.
Freiburg (Germany)
The Free Workers’ Union (FAU) Freiburg took part in various activities. Among others they called for a bloc of grassroot groups at the traditional May Day rally and participated at a self-organized street festival afterwards.
Spain
The General Confederation of Labour (CGT) announced to support the call for #GlobalMayDay2022 and was involved in various May Day rallies across the country – often together with the anarchosyndicalist comrades at CNT. Here are some examples.
Sources: elcomercio.es | diariodelaltoaragon.es | canal54.es | castelloninformacion.com | pamplonaactual.com | nortes.me
Stockholm (Sweden)
The anarcho-syndicalist SAC Syndikalisterna (Central Organisation of the Workers of Sweden) arranged May Day rallies in several cities across Sweden. The biggest gathering with around 3,000 people took place in Stockholm.
Dhaka (Bangladesh)
To commemorate May Day the Garment Workers’ Trade Union Center (GWTUC) held a rally in front of their central office. Garment workers of different factories gathered.
Workers of the World unite!
translation of the front banner
Forward the struggle towards socialism and for a world free of exploitation!
For a national minimum wage of 20,000 taka! (~ 219 EUR)
Long live May Day!
Garment Workers’ Trade Union Center
Kolkata (India)
Comrades of the Forum for IT Employees (FITE) Kolkata gathered at a major Kolkata IT hub to do some poster creation and make plans for a demonstration.
In addition this video was published pointing out the benefits achieved by organized labour struggles:
Yangon (Myanmar)
Activists of the Yangon Revolutionary Force rallied with a banner saying “Military is broken”. Slogans calling for US sanctions on MOGE were chanted. The action took place not only in context of the Blood Money Campaign, but also of #GlobalMayDay2022.
Hamburg (Germany)
In Hamburg, the local syndicates of the Free Workers’ Union (FAU) and the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) have joined this year’s call for #GlobalMayDay2022 under the slogan Environmental destruction and class struggle.
We decided to join the call for the climate block of the anarchist black-red May day demonstration at 6pm in Wilhelmsburg (a district of Hamburg). Beforehand, some comrades were already on the road at 1pm at the Who has gives – We can no longer afford the rich demo in the Hafencity (another district of Hamburg). With flags and a banner calling for this year’s Global May Day, about 10 comrades from the IWW and FAU joined the march from the Elbphilharmonie through the Hafencity to the Rathausmarkt. The demo was much bigger and more powerful than expected: Several thousand participants marched resolutely through the city and made noise. In the climate block, the connection between capitalism, profit maximisation on the one hand and the exploitation of workers and the environment on the other was pointed out.
The anarchist black-red May day demo was a bit smaller, but at least as determined: Just under 1,000 participants started their march through the Hamburg district of Wilhelmsburg at the city’s environmental authority. Wilhelmsburg is one of the poorer parts of the city, but it has become increasingly interesting in recent years, partly because the city has brought various projects here, such as the International Garden Show (IGA) and the International Building Exhibition (IBA). More and more old-established residents are forced to leave the district; rents are rising rapidly too – as in the whole of Hamburg.
At this demo we formed the climate block together with WiWa bleibt (a group trying prevent the destruction of a forest in Wilhelmsburg) to point out the systematic destruction of the environment by capital interests and to show solidarity with the workers of Kavala Oil in Greece.
Police forces were massively present with several hundred riot cops, arrest units, horses, dogs, a helicopter and several water cannons. A few metres after the rally began, the police stopped the procession. The argument was that many of the participants at the front of the demonstration were masked, carrying umbrellas and holding their banners too high. Pyrotechnics were also set off. After a long break and some back and forth on the part of the police, the demo was able to continue its way across Hamburg’s largest district and moved through the Reiherstieg district to the dyke. The cops accompanied the march at all times with a cordon and were present with numerous tubs both in front and behind the demo.
More than an hour before the end of the demonstration, the cops had already surrounded the march so closely that they arbitrarily did not allow individual participants to leave the rally. A few metres before the square where the final rally was to take place (tube station Veddel), the police stopped the march again. During the final speech, the front block was stormed, individual people were singled out and taken into custody. Finally, the organisers declared the rally as dissolved at around 10.30 pm because of the massive police violence. Several participants were injured and had to be treated in hospital.
media coverage: taz.de | tz.de | mopo.de | tag24.de
In addition to the rallies FAU Hamburg invited to watch the movie Fruits of Labor together at their union center Schwarze Katze (Black Cat) the following Tuesday. With this event they joined the international film screening organized by IWW Ireland. More than 10 people followed the invitation by FAU Hamburg. After the film an exchange with the director Emily Cohen Ibañez took place online.
Myanmar
The Federation of General Workers Myanmar (FGWM) focusses this year on the struggle for living wages, decent working conditions as well as federal democratic unions. A struggle that takes place under a fascist military junta.
To mark May day FGWM released this video message:
Dublin (Ireland)
Industrial Workers of the World members joined with trade unions and community groups throughout Dublin today marking the annual May Day March and Rally organised by the Dublin Council of Trade Unions.
The main theme this years march and rally for the DCTU focused on the ongoing war in Ukraine. Taking up the rear of the march which weaved its way through central Dublin a spokesperson for the IWW Ireland Branch said “The IWW are taking part in May Day demonstrations around the country and today here in Dublin which is probably the largest.
“This year the IWW has again worked with a number of international revolutionary unions and environmental groups as part of Global May Day in an attempt to raise awareness around the theme of climate justice and class struggle.
“For ourselves this forms part of a week of action around this years Global May Day. Over the next few days a series of online events have been organised from talks to film screenings. We would encourage our members and supporters to take part.”
Following today’s Dublin May Day march and rally we gathered at the James Connolly monument near Liberty Hall and were join by several members of Organise and other non aligned activists.
#1world1struggle #WeOnlyWantTheEarth
source: facebook.com
Derry (UK)
Industrial Workers of the World in Derry extends solidarity with Kavala Oil worker’s on May Day.
A spokesperson for the IWW in Ireland said that “As part of this year’s Global May Day ‘Week of Action’ the Industrial Workers of the World extends our international solidarity with Kavala Oil worker’s in Greece. As part of international actions for Global May Day, we send our solidarity to the 122 workers laid-off at Kavala Oil.
“We condemn the layoffs at LARCO, which is a state-owned ferro-nickel production company, and also the growing use of temporary contracts at Kavala Fertilizers. The worker’s laid off are demanding to be fully reinstated and we echo that call today on international worker’s day”
#1world1struggle #globalmayday2022
source: facebook.com
April 30th
Belfast (UK)
Members of the Industrial Workers of the World gathered in Belfast earlier today to take part in this year’s annual May Day March and Rally, the first in the city since Covid restrictions.
A spokesperson for the IWW Belfast Branch said during today’s action that “This year’s event coincides with Global May Day which the IWW has play a part in organising with other revolutionary unions such as the FOB in Brazil, FAU in Germany, SAC Sweden, GWTUC in Bangladesh as well as Earth Strike.
“It is vital that we raise awareness and make the connection between climate justice and class struggle. As part of a week of events Global May Day has organised a series of online events such as film screenings. Through this we are highlighting the many different worker led struggles from farms workers to community resistance to toxic gold mining in the Sperrins.
“For ourselves here at the Belfast march and rally our May Day message comes from one of the founding members of our union, James Connolly. As revolutionary figure who still holds importance and influence to many as a working class revolutionary. In 2022, our demands are still most moderate in that We Only Want The Earth!”
source: facebook.com
Yangon (Myanmar)
Activists of Yangon People’s Strike (YPS) rallied in the city center for a flashmob – against the fascist military junta, capitalism and blood money.
On the banner it says: Workers-People’s Rebellion, Demolish Fascism!
