May Day was celebrated across Europe on Sunday and Monday, with many cities seeing protests to honor workers and shame governments into doing more for their people, Associated Press reported.
Tens of thousands of people marched across Europe in May Day protests.
In France, protesters came to the streets to condemn newly re-elected French President Emmanuel Macron’s plans to raise the retirement age. The protests were mostly peaceful, but some demonstrators clashed with the police. Tensions rose in Paris as some protests smashed windows at banks and fast-food restaurants, prompting police to come in with tear gas.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said that 45 people had been detained so far.
In Berlin, Mayor Franziska Gipfel briefly interrupted her May Day speech at a trade union rally where someone threw an egg at her but missed.
Italy saw many rallies and protests in cities across the country, asking for an improvement in conditions for workers. World peace was a big issue as well, calling for an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Three of Italy’s main labor unions held their rally as well.
In other parts of the world, there were also protests as well. In Turkey, protests occurred about the impacts of inflation. Turkey police moved in quickly in Istanbul to circle protesters that were near Taksim Square. About 164 people were detained for demonstrating without permits and resisting police at the square.
Russia saw a motorcade organized by trade unions who are supportive of the invasion of Ukraine. May Day celebrations in Russia saw the arrests of antiwar protesters and bystanders in Russia. Reports by Russian legal aid group OVD-Info tracks political arrests and said that one man was detained in Moscow after he held up a sign in support of the FSB and President Vladimir Putin.
Russian protests also condemned rising inflation and fears of potential upcoming food shortages because of the Ukraine war.
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