May Day

from WAG, 30 April 2009: "“The rapid passage of time has brought us once again to the symbolic, evocative date of 1st May” CNT Spain 1947.

As the recession deepens, unemployment grows, another case of police brutality makes the headlines, factories become occupied, schools blockaded and thousands begin to come out on the streets, again we find ourselves approaching the historic May day date. Despite the media perpetuating a campaign of fear mongering continuing from the G20 circus, these turbulent times have put the anarchist movement back on the stage of history and the May Day weekend is on the cards to be quite a scorcher in the “Summer Of Rage”. more

from email, updated 2 May 2009: "MAYDAY! MAYDAY! -MASS STREET PARTY AGAINST WAR AND GREED, BRIGHTON, MAY 4TH, 12 NOON - BRING RADIOS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE OUR OWN MUSIC! ARRIVE EARLY - WEAR RED... Bring stereos and radios to the Mayday Street Party so we can make our own music..

Critical Mass: There will be a Critical Mass meeting at 11am at Brighton Station before the main Street Party... BIKES NOT BOMBS, bring sound systems... more

from email, updated 14 April 2009: "Brighton, May 4th 2009, 12 noon, wear red. Bring passion, drums, sound systems, radios and stereos... For centuries Mayday has brought people together and out onto the streets. People danced for the coming summer and the fertility of the crops.

People marched in remembrance and solidarity with their fellow workers around the world. People gathered in their cities to fight against global capital and exploitation. Smash EDO invites you to a celebration of all these aspects of Mayday..." more

from email, updated 2 February 2009: "We ask for your solidarity with Nico and Javi, members of Universidad Nómada and since years activists in the self-organized social centers, in the global movement, in the network of migrants, and in collective experiences like Mayday and the struggles against precarization... Your personal, collective and institutional support is needed... They call for two years of prison for Nicolas Sguiglia and Javier Toret for the imputed act of robbery and intimidation when they were involved as syndicalist mediators in a protest against precarity in Plus supermarkets in Sevilla around Mayday, 1 May of the precarious in 2006..." more

from imc-uk, 24 September 2008: 1st November will be exactly six months away from May Day, international workers day. Well we at the anarchist federation ain't got that much time to lose and want to shut down greedy scum like Manpower, RIGHT NOW! Why wait til May Day? Take control today! more

from email, 20 April 2008: May 1st, international workers day, has traditionally been a day to challenge the capitalist system and a celebration of solidarity and workers' struggle for a more just social system. On this day we are calling on people to make the link between capitalism, economic growth, climate change and social struggle. more

from imc-uk, 14 April 2008: "Mayday 2008 is the 300th anniversary of the last free Mayday before the Grand Jury suppression of the traditional May Fayre in central London; a riotous, raucous celebration of fertility and freedom... To commemorate this significant anniversary, and the still thriving tradition of over the top state control, the Space Hijackers and the Metropolitan Police proudly present a collaborative re-enactment of the end of this traditional May Fayre..." more

from email, 7 April 2008: EuroMayday is a process by which actions and demands are put forward to fight the widespread precarization of youth and the discrimination of migrants in Europe and beyond: no borders, no workfare, no precarity! more

from ainfos, 10 April 2008: In an unprecedented show of unity London anarchists decided tonight to organise against the London mayoral elections on May 2nd by calling for the ‘return of the London mob' at the GLA building on the South Bank at 6pm when the result will be declared.

"Everyone knows the politicians are lying,corrupt, self-serving parasites - it's time we let them know - THIS IS OUR LONDON not theirs, their party's or their paymasters.

On Friday May 2nd at City Hall we will confront our class enemies at the Mayoral election results reviving a great radical London tradition - ITS TIME TO TAKE TO THE STREETS AND CLAIM BACK OUR CITY." more

from email, 13 March 2008: This year for MayDay, two worlds clash together: the global movement vs strong-armed governments; grassroots networks and squatted social centers vs EU power; Utopian Society vs Capitalist Market; the radical europe of multitudes vs the conservative Europe of élites.

We are gonna spoil the party of the powerful, by raising hell in Aachen and holding our own party: the EuroMayDay Parade, the transeuropean demonstration of all precarious and migrants against workfare, discrimination and border controls held in more than twenty cities. more

The head of the Los Angeles Police Department, William Bratton, has admitted that his officers made serious mistakes at the end of a May Day rally.

The admission came as Mr Bratton delivered a report on the immigration rally to the city's police commission. more

From email: Over the last few years, grassroots democracy has returned or sprung up in a number of different and inspiring ways; on this Mayday we march to celebrate our new resistance to our oldest problem – united in unrepentant struggle against their unrelenting war. more

May Day is International Workers Day, a day that should recognize that the working class is an international class; that the oppressed and exploited throughout the world have everything in common with each other and nothing in common with 'their' nation, 'their' government and 'their' bosses.

So migrants, refugees, those deemed 'illegal immigrants' by the State, those facing deportation, people in detention, should be at the center of what May Day is all about more

Originally posted 22:42 02 May 2005: Yesterday, Sunday 1st of May saw the first EuroMayday action happen in London. Organised by the precarity network, our aim was to bring together people in London who have precarious working and living situations.  more