02.05.2017, Europe and the Middle East.
On May 01, seventy Spanish towns and cities witnessed May Day rallies and demonstrations, according to the RIA Novosti News Agency. Rallies were organized by Spain’s major labor union organizations, the General Workers’ Union (Spanish: Unión General de Trabajadores (UTG)) and the Spanish Union Workers’ Commissions (Spanish: Confederación Sindical de Comisiones Obreras (CCOO). Festivities were supported by left-wing parties, such as Podemos, the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party, Izquierda Unida left-wing Party and the others. The main slogans of the rallies were rising salaries and combating inequality in labor issues. In particular, equal salaries to men and women were demanded. Ignacio Fernandez Toxo, General Secretary of the Spanish Union Workers’ Commissions spoke at the Spanish capital’s rally and said, that they have been reporting economic growth for already two years in a row, and now the economy shall meet the needs of people. Demonstrators also charted a manifesto calling the Spanish government to make necessary reforms and changes providing labor productivity and welfare to go for the benefit of every person.
According to RIA Novosti News Agency, over 500 demonstrators took part in the 1st of May demonstration in the capital of Latvia. It was organized by the Latvian labor unions. In addition to the Riga residents and labor unions’ members, Nil Ushakov, the mayor of the Riga, took part in the festivities. Demonstrators carried red balloons and labor unions’ banners, and they marched from the Riga Castle to the Freedom Monument. In addition, today over 100 demonstrators came to the traditional Socialist Party rally in 1905 park.
According to the IRNA News Agency, Tehran held a solemn ceremony celebrating the Day of Solidarity of All Workers on May 1, where President Hassan Rouhani was present. The ceremony took place in the Mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini, the leader of Islamic Revolution and the founder of the Republic of Iran. The ceremony celebrated achievements of 15 enterprises that were acknowledged as exemplary. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, speaking at the International Workers’ Day celebration on May 1, described Iranian workers as “a feather in the cap of Iranians and national economy”.
Many countries celebrate the May Day or the International Workers’ Day since 1890. This year Russia, Donbass, and many European countries held mass demonstrations, devoted to May Day. In some places, rallies are not peaceful. Media informs of clashes between demonstrators and the police in Turkey, France, and Germany. AFP journalists say that riots in France could be related to confrontation between presidential candidate, which splashed out into the streets.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
