Skip links

Skip to Content
play

Live

Navigation menu

  • News
    • Middle East
    • Africa
    • Asia
    • US & Canada
    • Latin America
    • Europe
    • Asia Pacific
  • Ukraine war
  • Features
  • Economy
  • Opinion
  • Video
    • Coronavirus
    • Climate Crisis
    • Investigations
    • Interactives
    • In Pictures
    • Science & Technology
    • Sports
    • Podcasts
play

Live

In Pictures

Economy|In Pictures

Photos: Countries worldwide mark International Labour Day

May 1 is celebrated as International Labour Day – or May Day – around the world.

South Korea May Day
Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions stage a May Day rally demanding better working conditions and labour rights in Seoul, South Korea. [Ahn Young-joon/AP Photo]
Published On 1 May 20221 May 2022
facebooktwitterwhatsapp

Demonstrators around the world took to the streets on Sunday to celebrate workers and push for improved labour rights.

Tens of thousands marked May Day – the international day of workers – with rallies in South Korea, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Serbia, Turkey, India, Pakistan, Greece, France and Cyprus, among others.

Citizens and trade unions in cities around Europe took to the streets for marches with protest messages to their governments, notably in France where the holiday to honour workers was being used as a rallying cry against newly re-elected President Emmanuel Macron.

Turkish riot police arrested dozens of protesters trying to reach Istanbul’s main Taksim Square for May Day demonstrations against economic hardship caused by raging inflation.

Only a few people strolled the pedestrian-only streets in central Beijing’s historic Qianmen district, normally an area bustling with tourists on what was a national holiday and a sunny spring day.

Many Chinese marked a quiet May Day this year as the government’s “zero-COVID” approach restricts travel and enforces lockdowns in multiple cities. Millions remain restricted to their buildings or compounds in Shanghai, China’s largest city, under a lockdown that has only slightly eased.

India May Day
Members of the Centre of India Trade Unions rally to mark May Day in Hyderabad, India. [Mahesh Kumar A/AP Photo]
Advertisement
France May Day
Protesters march during a May Day demonstration in Marseille, southern France. [Daniel Cole/AP Photo]
Serbia May Day
People attend a May Day rally on International Workers Day in Belgrade, Serbia with defiant rallies and marches for better pay and working conditions. [Darko Vojinovic/AP Photo]
Pakistan May Day
Pakistani day labourers sit next to their tools as they wait for work on May Day, also known as International Workers' Day, in Karachi. [Fareed Khan/AP Photo]
MAY-DAY/GREECE
Protesters take part in a rally commemorating May Day in Athens, Greece. [Costas Baltas/AP Photo]
MAY-DAY/TURKEY
Police officers scuffle with protesters who attempted to defy a ban and march on Taksim Square to celebrate May Day in Istanbul, Turkey. [Kemal Aslan/Reuters]
Advertisement
Cambodia May Day
Cambodian workers hold a banner with a slogan that reads, 'Together we end the use of ASBESTOS in Cambodia,' as they participate in a gathering to mark May Day near Wat Phnom in central Phnom Penh, Cambodia. [Heng Sinith/AP Photo]
Sri Lanka May Day
Sri Lanka's Frontline Socialist Party members attend a march to mark International Worker's Day in Colombo, Sri Lanka. [Eranga Jayawardena/AP Photo]
Cyprus May Day
Demonstrators wave flags during May Day celebrations inside the UN buffer zone at Ledra Palace in the divided capital of Nicosia, Cyprus. [Petros Karadjias/AP Photo]


    • About Us
    • Code of Ethics
    • Terms and Conditions
    • EU/EEA Regulatory Notice
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Cookie Preferences
    • Sitemap
    • Community Guidelines
    • Work for us
    • HR Quality
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with us
    • Apps
    • 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
© 2023 Al Jazeera Media Network