Skip linksSkip to Content
play
Live
Navigation menu
  • News
    • Africa
    • Asia
    • US & Canada
    • Latin America
    • Europe
    • Asia Pacific
  • Middle East
  • Explained
  • Opinion
  • Sport
  • Video
    • Features
    • Economy
    • Human Rights
    • Climate Crisis
    • Investigations
    • Interactives
    • In Pictures
    • Science & Technology
    • Podcasts
play
Live

In Pictures

Gallery|Labour Rights

May Day protesters demand workers’ rights amid pandemic

Countries worldwide mark International Labour Day, the annual celebration of workers’ rights.

Demonstrators march in London, UK during a 'Kill the Bill' protest against proposed legislation to strengthen police powers [Toby Melville/Reuters]
Published On 1 May 20211 May 2021
facebooktwitterwhatsappcopylink

Workers and union leaders have dusted off bullhorns and flags that had stayed furled during coronavirus lockdowns for slimmed down but still boisterous May Day marches, demanding more labour protections amid a pandemic that has turned economies and workplaces upside down.

In countries that mark May 1 as International Labour Day, the annual celebration of workers’ rights produced a rare sight during the pandemic: large and closely packed crowds, with marchers striding shoulder-to-shoulder with clenched fists behind banners.

But in Turkey and the Philippines, police prevented the May Day protests, enforcing virus lockdowns.

In Istanbul, a few labour leaders were allowed to lay wreaths at Taksim Square, but riot police stopped many others from reaching the plaza. The Progressive Lawyers’ Association said more than 200 people were detained.

Hooded, black-clad demonstrators clashed with police in Paris as thousands of people joined traditional May Day protests across France to demand social and economic justice and voice their opposition to government plans to change unemployment benefits.

Police made 34 arrests in the capital, where garbage bins were set on fire and the windows of a bank branch were smashed, momentarily delaying the march.

About 300 rallies were organised in cities including Lyon, Nantes, Lille and Toulouse.

For labour leaders, the day was a test of their ability to mobilise workers in the face of profound economic disruptions.

The face masks worn by many were a reminder of how much life has changed since the last traditional May Day celebrations in 2019, before the coronavirus epidemic wrecked lives and livelihoods and eroded civil liberties, often including the right to demonstrate.

Advertisement

Some marches, constricted by coronavirus restrictions, were less attended than was traditional before the pandemic. But they still served as outlets for workers’ concerns over jobs and protections.

Left-wing protesters burn flares and hold banners - one reading: 'Long live May 1' - at the annual rally in the southeastern French city of Lyon. [Jeff Pachoud/AFP]
Advertisement
Participants of the labour day parade march in front of the town hall in Vienna, Austria. [Lisa Leutner/AP Photo]
Police officers detain a protester after she and others tried to push through a police barricade towards Taksim Square in central Istanbul. [Emrah Gurel/AP Photo]
Riot police officers detain demonstrators as they attempt to defy a ban and march on Istanbul's Taksim Square during a nationwide 'full closure' imposed to slow the rate of coronavirus [Umit Bektas/Reuters]
Hundreds of coal miners protest in Sarajevo, Bosnia to demand better wages and working conditions. [Eldar Emric/AP Photo]
A worker raises his fist during the May Day demonstration in Paris. [Thibault Camus/AP Photo]
Advertisement
May Day Korea
Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions stage a rally demanding better working conditions and expanding labour rights in Seoul, South Korea. The signs read: 'Let's solve inequality.' [Ahn Young-joon/AP Photo]
Members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers raise their hats as they march to celebrate International Labour Day in Lagos. Inflation in Nigeria soared to a four-year high of more than 18 percent in March, with food prices up 20 percent, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. [Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP]
A demonstrator releases coloured smoke during a 'Kill the Bill' protest in Trafalgar Square, London against a proposed bill that would give British police extra powers to curtail demonstrations. [Toby Melville/Reuters]
Taiwanese workers chant slogans in Taipei, Taiwan. Thousands of protesters from different labour groups protested on the street to demand a salary increase and a securing annuity. [Chiang Ying-ying/AP Photo]
Communist party supporters with red flags march near Red Square in Moscow, Russia. [Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP Photo]


    • About Us
    • Code of Ethics
    • Terms and Conditions
    • EU/EEA Regulatory Notice
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Cookie Preferences
    • Sitemap
    • Work for us
    • Contact Us
    • User Accounts Help
    • Advertise with us
    • Stay Connected
    • Newsletters
    • Channel Finder
    • TV Schedule
    • Podcasts
    • Submit a Tip
    • Al Jazeera Arabic
    • Al Jazeera English
    • Al Jazeera Investigative Unit
    • Al Jazeera Mubasher
    • Al Jazeera Documentary
    • Al Jazeera Balkans
    • AJ+
    • Al Jazeera Centre for Studies
    • Al Jazeera Media Institute
    • Learn Arabic
    • Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights
    • Al Jazeera Forum
    • Al Jazeera Hotel Partners

Follow Al Jazeera English:

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • youtube
  • instagram-colored-outline
  • rss
Al Jazeera Media Network logo
© 2025 Al Jazeera Media Network