ISTANBUL (AP) — Activists flooded a central plaza in Turkey's largest city Sunday and marked international workers' day around the world with marches demanding more jobs, better working conditions and higher wages.
About 200,000 workers gathered in Istanbul's Taksim Square in the largest May Day rally there since 1977, when 34 people after shooting triggered a stampede. Turkish unions weren't allowed back until last year.
In South Korea, police said 50,000 rallied in Seoul for better labor protections. They also urged the government to contain rising inflation, a growing concern across much of Asia, where food and oil prices have been spiking and threatening to push millions into poverty.
Thousands of workers also marched in Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Philippines to vent their anger over the rising cost of living and growing disparities between the rich and poor.
Chinese holidaymakers flocked to Beijing's Tiananmen Square to watch the daily flag-raising ceremony.
In the Philippines, about 3,000 workers demanding higher wages held a protest in a Manila square that included setting alight the effigy of Philippine President Benigno Aquino III grinning in a luxury car. Aquino was criticized this year for buying a secondhand Porsche in a country where a third of people live on a dollar a day.
In Taiwan, about 2,000 people rallied in Taipei to protest the widening income gap and to demand their government create better work conditions. About 3,000 people in Hong Kong took part in a Sunday morning protest while another 5,000 were expected at an afternoon rally, local media reports said, citing union organizers.
In Spain, where the unemployment has reached a eurozone high of 21.3 percent, several thousand people gathered in the eastern port city of Valencia and protested the government's failure to create new jobs.
In Moscow, up to 5,000 Communists and members of other leftist groups marched through the city carrying a sea of red flags to celebrate their traditional holiday, what in Soviet times was known as the Day of International Solidarity of Workers.
Since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, the holiday has been known as the Day of Spring and Labor, and organizations from across the political spectrum held their own marches on Sunday.
The dominant pro-Kremlin party, United Russia, gathered the largest crowd by pulling in workers from factories and institutes in and around Moscow. Party organizers claimed that 25,000 people took part.
The holiday also brought out about 30 members of the Syrian diaspora to protest their government's use of military force against protesters calling for an end to President Bashar Assad's rule.
Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov, whose party is the only nominally opposition faction in the Kremlin-loyal parliament, called for national solidarity.
A handful of gay activists tried to join the Communist march, but organizers and police insisted they roll up their flags to avoid conflict.
Tens of thousands took to the streets across the globe for May Day on Sunday, to press for workers' rights amid tough economic times and to back an array of other causes.
From Hong Kong to Indonesia and from Moscow to Paris, protesters marched and rallied in largely peaceful demonstrations for international Labour Day.
In Russia, hundreds of thousands took to the streets in May Day rallies, most showing support for the Kremlin amid a handful of opposition protests.
Crowds waving balloons and blue or red flags gathered in cities from the Pacific port of Vladivostok to Moscow in carefully choreographed rallies reminiscent of the Soviet era when May 1 was one of the most important holidays celebrating international socialism.
In central Moscow, Left Front leftist activists urged Russians to follow the example of the Arab world and turn against their leaders.
The activists chanted: "Whether Cairo or Moscow, only through fighting will you obtain rights!"
In France, the far-right National Front (FN) kicked off its traditional "Joan of Arc" May Day march with a new leader at the head and under orders banning skinhead haircuts and jackboots.
The annual march is also timed as a Labour Day tribute to workers by the FN, which polls particularly well in depressed post-industrial regions.
Marine Le Pen, the daughter of the FN's founder Jean-Marie Le Pen who succeeded him as its leader in January, drew applause as she took her place at the head of her march in front of Paris's grand old Opera.
"Marine for president," cried the crowd of several thousand. "Red, white, blue, France for the French!"
Separately, five major labour unions planned around 200 marches across France for Labour Day, including one in eastern Paris, to call for measures to tackle the rising cost of living while also condemning racism.
Thousands of workers also gathered at the famous square in the heart of Turkey's biggest city Istanbul to celebrate May Day at the site where dozens were killed at a rally 34 years ago.
Waving colourful flags, dancing and chanting, the crowds marched onto Taksim square, the hub of the sprawling city of almost 15 million people, for a rally organized by four trade union confederations.
Until May Day last year, Taksim Square had been declared off-limits since the bloodshed during a 1977 May Day rally when gunmen, believed to be far-right militants aided by members of the intelligence services, fired on a peaceful crowd, killing 33 people and triggering mass panic. The attackers were never caught.
The government's decision to reopen the square for May Day celebrations came after parliament reinstated the day as a national holiday in 2009.
Several thousand marched in Hong Kong in a noisy procession calling for stronger labour laws, even as the city best known as a glitzy financial hub introduced the first ever minimum wage for its legions of low-paid workers.
At least 4,000 people moved through the downtown area of the densely populated city, banging cymbals and drums in protest against fast-rising rents and food prices and shouting "Put an end to worker exploitation!"
In Seoul at least 50,000 workers gathered to chant slogans calling for higher pay and better job security and to slam the conservative administration.
"Our livelihood has been ruined by anti-labour policies, rising unemployment and a widening wealth gap for the past three years under (President) Lee Myung-Bak," the Korean Federation of Trade Unions said in a statement.
Protesters in Indonesia called for better social security, turning out in their thousands -- with some 10,000 security personnel in attendance -- to shout slogans such as "the country is rich but the people are poor".
"There is no social justice for Indonesians without social security," said a statement from more than 60 labour unions.
In Greece, some 15,000 took to the streets in different cities to rally against austerity measures imposed amid the country's economic crisis.
Greek unions have called for a general strike on May 11 to oppose the measures, but Prime Minister George Papandreou in his May Day message called for "everyone to support the big changes that the country needs."
In Portugal, another country facing economic crisis, union activists said they hoped to draw 60,000 to 80,000 to the streets for protests against austerity measures expected to be imposed under a European Union and International Monetary Fund bailout plan.
"Never has social protest been more important," said Manuel Carvalho da Silva, the head of the CGTP union.
(FMT) – KUALA LUMPUR: The May Day rally today saw the arrest of about 18 protesters including Sungai Siput MP Jeyakumar Devaraj and Parti Sosialis Malaysia secretary-general S Arutchelvan.
They were arrested for failing to disperse from an illegal assembly. Most of them were arrested at Maju Junction along Jalan Sultan Ismail while Arutchelvan and another person were taken in near the Chow Kit monorail station.
About 400 people had gathered since 10.30am to take part in the May Day rally, calling for a minimum wage and against the continuing price hikes. The protesters were made up of estate workers, residents from displaced housing settlements and representatives from the civil societies.
The rally was organised by 75 non-governmental organizations.
The rally was to have started at 10.30am at the Chow Kit monorail station from where the protesters had planned to march towards Dataran Merdeka.
However a stong police presence at the monorail station saw the protesters emerging at Maju Junction, located about 2km away from the original venue.
Here the protesters carried banners and placards, and chanted slogans for the government to introduce minimum wage and bring down the prices of essential goods.
They then proceeded to Information, Telecommunication and Culture Ministry located in a nearby building and staged a peaceful sit-in.
The organisers also managed to submit a memorandum to Malaysian Human Rights Commissioner James Nayagam at the entrance of the building.
From Hong Kong to Indonesia and from Moscow to Paris, protesters marched and rallied in largely peaceful demonstrations for international Labour Day.
In Russia, hundreds of thousands took to the streets in May Day rallies, most showing support for the Kremlin amid a handful of opposition protests.
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Anti-Kremlin rallies were far outnumbered by pro-government demonstrations organized by pro-Kremlin parties and trade unions.Crowds waving balloons and blue or red flags gathered in cities from the Pacific port of Vladivostok to Moscow in carefully choreographed rallies reminiscent of the Soviet era when May 1 was one of the most important holidays celebrating international socialism.
In central Moscow, Left Front leftist activists urged Russians to follow the example of the Arab world and turn against their leaders.
The activists chanted: "Whether Cairo or Moscow, only through fighting will you obtain rights!"
In France, the far-right National Front (FN) kicked off its traditional "Joan of Arc" May Day march with a new leader at the head and under orders banning skinhead haircuts and jackboots.
The annual march is also timed as a Labour Day tribute to workers by the FN, which polls particularly well in depressed post-industrial regions.
Marine Le Pen, the daughter of the FN's founder Jean-Marie Le Pen who succeeded him as its leader in January, drew applause as she took her place at the head of her march in front of Paris's grand old Opera.
"Marine for president," cried the crowd of several thousand. "Red, white, blue, France for the French!"
Separately, five major labour unions planned around 200 marches across France for Labour Day, including one in eastern Paris, to call for measures to tackle the rising cost of living while also condemning racism.
Thousands of workers also gathered at the famous square in the heart of Turkey's biggest city Istanbul to celebrate May Day at the site where dozens were killed at a rally 34 years ago.
Waving colourful flags, dancing and chanting, the crowds marched onto Taksim square, the hub of the sprawling city of almost 15 million people, for a rally organized by four trade union confederations.
Until May Day last year, Taksim Square had been declared off-limits since the bloodshed during a 1977 May Day rally when gunmen, believed to be far-right militants aided by members of the intelligence services, fired on a peaceful crowd, killing 33 people and triggering mass panic. The attackers were never caught.
The government's decision to reopen the square for May Day celebrations came after parliament reinstated the day as a national holiday in 2009.
Several thousand marched in Hong Kong in a noisy procession calling for stronger labour laws, even as the city best known as a glitzy financial hub introduced the first ever minimum wage for its legions of low-paid workers.
At least 4,000 people moved through the downtown area of the densely populated city, banging cymbals and drums in protest against fast-rising rents and food prices and shouting "Put an end to worker exploitation!"
In Seoul at least 50,000 workers gathered to chant slogans calling for higher pay and better job security and to slam the conservative administration.
"Our livelihood has been ruined by anti-labour policies, rising unemployment and a widening wealth gap for the past three years under (President) Lee Myung-Bak," the Korean Federation of Trade Unions said in a statement.
Protesters in Indonesia called for better social security, turning out in their thousands -- with some 10,000 security personnel in attendance -- to shout slogans such as "the country is rich but the people are poor".
"There is no social justice for Indonesians without social security," said a statement from more than 60 labour unions.
In Greece, some 15,000 took to the streets in different cities to rally against austerity measures imposed amid the country's economic crisis.
Greek unions have called for a general strike on May 11 to oppose the measures, but Prime Minister George Papandreou in his May Day message called for "everyone to support the big changes that the country needs."
In Portugal, another country facing economic crisis, union activists said they hoped to draw 60,000 to 80,000 to the streets for protests against austerity measures expected to be imposed under a European Union and International Monetary Fund bailout plan.
"Never has social protest been more important," said Manuel Carvalho da Silva, the head of the CGTP union.
(FMT) – KUALA LUMPUR: The May Day rally today saw the arrest of about 18 protesters including Sungai Siput MP Jeyakumar Devaraj and Parti Sosialis Malaysia secretary-general S Arutchelvan.
They were arrested for failing to disperse from an illegal assembly. Most of them were arrested at Maju Junction along Jalan Sultan Ismail while Arutchelvan and another person were taken in near the Chow Kit monorail station.
About 400 people had gathered since 10.30am to take part in the May Day rally, calling for a minimum wage and against the continuing price hikes. The protesters were made up of estate workers, residents from displaced housing settlements and representatives from the civil societies.
The rally was organised by 75 non-governmental organizations.
The rally was to have started at 10.30am at the Chow Kit monorail station from where the protesters had planned to march towards Dataran Merdeka.
However a stong police presence at the monorail station saw the protesters emerging at Maju Junction, located about 2km away from the original venue.
Here the protesters carried banners and placards, and chanted slogans for the government to introduce minimum wage and bring down the prices of essential goods.
They then proceeded to Information, Telecommunication and Culture Ministry located in a nearby building and staged a peaceful sit-in.
The organisers also managed to submit a memorandum to Malaysian Human Rights Commissioner James Nayagam at the entrance of the building.
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