The 3 boxes of freedom; the soap box, the ballot box and the ammo box
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
May Day Protest
May Day 2013: Eye-catching images from protests around the world
By Karen Workman
| Digital First Media
First Published 3 hours ago • Updated 3 hours ago
Scenes from the May Day protests happening across the globe today.
From the United States to Great Britain, India, Russia and other countries, thousands of people are rallying on May 1 in the name of fair labor practices. The day has long been celebrated internationally as a time to celebrate workers' rights and, in many places, protest for better working conditions.
Bangladesh: Safer working conditions
Thousands of workers paraded through central Dhaka demanding safer working conditions. Protesters also want the death penalty for the owner of a building housing garment factories that collapsed week, killing at least 402 people and injuring 2,500. May Day in Bangladesh, 2013. (Wong Maye-E/AP)
Turkey: Teargas, water cannons used on protesters
May Day demonstrations turned violent in Turkey
when protesters tried breaking through police barriers to reach Taksim
Square, a symbolic rallying point for workers. The square, a main hub in
Istanbul, was blocked off because of construction, reports AP.
Phillipines: Thousands march for better pay, better jobs
Better
pay and regular jobs, as opposed to contractual work, were sought by
the estimated 8,000 workers who marched in Manila, reports AP. In a
rally outside the U.S. Embassy, an effigy of Phillipine president
Benigno Aquino and Barack Obama was burned. May Day in Phillipines, 2013. (Dondi Tawatao/Getty)
France: Steelmakers protest plant closure
At
the May Day demonstration called "Fighting Enterprises Festival," a
child holds a banner that reads: "Reopen the plant" in reference to the
recently announced closure of the ArcelorMittal Florange plant. May Day in France. ((Jean-Christophe Verhaegen/AFP/Getty)
Spain: Marching against austerity
Demonstrators march against the Spanish government's austerity policies in the center of Barcelona. With unemployment at a record 27 percent, the country's two biggest unions called on workers and the unemployed to join more than 80 scheduled demonstrations. May Day in Spain, 2013. (Josep Lago/AFP/Getty)
A
crowd of protesters is swelling at Westlake Plaza in Seattle and some
shouted obscenities at police as the first May Day march begins.
Though
most of today’s May Day marches are expected to be peaceful, police are
preparing for anything after last year's rallies turned violent. Police
have been patrolling heavily at Westlake, where police held a media
briefing as some people, apparently bent on being disruptive, screamed
profanties at officers. Video from Chopper 7 showed mounted patrols
on guard while other officers patrolled on foot. Some people in the
crowd are dressed as clowns. The nearby US Bank at Fifth Avenue and Pike Street is closing at 3 p.m. as a precaution.
Anarchists put out a call to gather at Westlake this morning, but so far there has been no significant gathering. Seattle's own self-proclaimed superhero, Phoenix Jones, is providing a live feed as he patrols Seattle streets. Watch it live here. Seattle
police have twice the number of officers on the street today as
compared to last year's May Day, and some businesses have security
guards. The first of two major May Day marches starts at 1 p.m. at
Judkins Park. It will wind through downtown Seattle and end at the
Federal Building for a rally at 5 p.m. The Puget Sound Anarchists
website said their formal rally will start at 6 p.m. Wednesday on
Capitol Hill, but there are other rallies and demonstrations earlier in
the day they could try to disrupt. Protesters plan to meet at
Seattle Central Community College at the busy intersection of Broadway
and Pine. There’s no information as to where they’ll go from there.
One anarchist who came to Seattle this week specifically for May Day said he hopes there will be more destruction this year. Traffic and transit service could be hugely impacted. Metro Transit is already warning bus riders to be prepared because buses could be rerouted or even temporarily delayed. This year, it seems the Goldman Sachs office at Second Avenue and Columbia Street is a likely target. An anarchists' blog post calls for a crowd to gather in front of the investment bank. Meanwhile, some are bracing for possible May Day mayhem as they recall last year’s events. When Nate White thinks about May Day, he gets flashbacks about the noise. “It
was lunchtime. You could hear the mob come down the street, windows
smashing,” White said. “Someone told me they’re really trashing cars on
the street. Then I realized, my truck was down there. I went out there,
and there was an anarchist ‘A’ spray-painted all over my windows, and my
tires were slashed.” White’s vehicle was in a line of heavily
vandalized cars and trucks on Sixth Avenue, where Nike Town display
windows were also smashed. White said he believes downtown workers need a warning about this year’s May Day.
“Don’t park on the street,” he said. Seattle
Mayor Mike McGinn said he and police have learned a lot from last
year’s riot to know how to handle any violent challenge by protestors on
May Day. “Our objective is to make sure it’s a peaceful day for everyone,” McGinn said. Seattle
police won’t discuss their tactics, but Seattle police sources told
KIRO 7 there could be twice the number of officers on the streets this
year. The people who run businesses along the planned protest
route are hoping it’s enough to prevent vandalism, like the block of
broken windows last year. “We’re staying open,” said Vanessa
Naff, manager of a hair salon on Sixth and Stewart. “We rely on other
business owners to stay and watch their place and ours, too,” she said. A number of office buildings will be locked down during the protests. “It’s just a precaution,” Naff said. “It’s probably going to be quiet on May Day." May Day protests are scheduled in Olympia as well. Organizers said on their blog, "We want this to be, not a riot, but a festival." They
said that by assembling without permits, and by marching on local
banks, in a "shut down the banks party" scheduled for 2 p.m., they will
push for what they see as necessary social change.
Olympia police
said there is no specific threat related to May Day activities, but
some people are worried that this year could see a replay of 2008, when
rioters broke windows and police arrested six people. Meanwhile, at Sylvester Park Wednesday morning, there was a different take. A note was found saying, "May Day 2013 -- Nothing will happen -- Nothing will change. Please pick up your trash, at least." May Day is not unique to Seattle. It's a worldwide celebration of the labor movement that dates all the way back to 1886. May Day has since become a focal point for demonstrations by labor organizations and anarchist groups around the world.
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