In Paris, numerous clashes have pitted the police against very mobile groups of young people dressed in black. According to a journalist from theAFPabout twenty brands, mostly McDonald’s, insurers, real estate agencies or banks, were damaged by thugs
, according to the terminology used by the Minister of the Interior. They also threw projectiles at the police, who tried to disperse them with tear gas.
Throughout France, tens of thousands of people marched, most often without incident, in a very political context after the re-election on April 24 of President Emmanuel Macron, against the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen.
The question of purchasing power was at the heart of the demands of the demonstrators, because of inflation.
Photo: Getty Images/Sam Tarling
Dozens of people were arrested in Istanbul, six days after the convictions of patron Osman Kavala and seven members of civil society accused of wanting to overthrow the regime.
The governor’s services reported the arrest of 164 people who wanted to join the famous Taksim Square, the epicenter of the major anti-government protests of 2013, closed to traffic and parades.
Turkish riot police officers detain a protester during a rally marking International Workers’ Day, near Taksim Square, Istanbul.
Photo: Getty Images / OZAN KOSE
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has left May Day celebrations in a hurry after angry miners invaded the stage he was scheduled to speak on at Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenberg (north). The protesters, who chanted Cyril must go
demanded a salary increase.
In Sri Lanka, affected by a violent economic crisis, the opposition demanded in unison the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, during massive rallies.
Go home, Gota
chanted tens of thousands of activists in Colombo.
Months of power outages, runaway inflation and severe shortages of food, fuel and pharmaceuticals have sparked widespread anti-Rajapaksa protests since mid-March.
Peoples Liberation Front party activists and supporters take part in a May Day rally in Colombo.
Photo: Getty Images
Thousands of people demonstrated in Athens, demanding more measures to support purchasing power, in the face of inflation which reached 9.4% in April in Greece.
If the minimum wage was increased on May 1 by 50 euros ($67.80), to 713 euros ($966.93) monthly, this measure is considered insufficient by the unions, who are demanding 825 euros ($1,118.82) .
In Madrid, they were around 10,000 demonstrators, according to a government spokesman, marching to demand wage increases and measures against inflation. A large banner claimed:may. The solution: raise wages, contain prices and expand equality.”,”text”:”May1. The solution: raise wages, contain prices and expand equality.”}}”>May 1. The solution: raise wages, contain prices and expand equality.
Other demonstrations took place across Spain and in Andorra, where the rise in the cost of living, the price of housing and the loss of purchasing power were also at the center of the demands.
Two large rallies are planned in Buenos Aires: one of groups close to the government, to express their support for the current policy, while advocating for a more pronounced social focus in the face of inflation, and the other of organizations to the left of power to express their opposition to the repayment of the debt to the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and to demand a radical social shift.
In Italy, the main trade union confederations had called for a rally in Assisi (center), city of Saint Francis, patron saint of Italy, on the theme At work for peace
in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. We must absolutely work to end this absurd war, wanted by Putin
declared the leader of the Cgil union, Maurizio Landini, in front of several hundred activists.
Berlin Mayor Franziska Giffey was giving a speech at a rally in Berlin, attended by 7,500 people according to media reports, when a protester threw an egg at her. Her security service was able to protect her with an umbrella.
Several thousand people also marched in London, at the call of unions and environmental or societal organizations, such as Black Lives Matter (Black lives matter).
In Cuba, at the call of the government, hundreds of thousands of Cubans, wearing face masks, marched through major cities as the island faces severe shortages and rising prices. After two years of confinement linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, the communist government had called on workers to participate in these parades, organizing transport by bus. The rally took place in Havana, in the presence of President Miguel Diaz-Canel and revolutionary leader Raul Castro.
