London: After all the fuss beforehand, May Day in London was a fairly peaceable affair.
With 6,000 police, threats of tear gas and rubber bullets, and a stated “zero tolerance” approach, parts of central London still ground to a halt. The generally fluffy and colourful band of several thousand displayed creativity and humour in the face of repressive policing. Hundreds participated in a critical mass action in the financial district.
Seoul: About 20,000 workers took to the streets demanding president Kim Dae-Jung step down.
Colombo: Thousands of people turned out to demonstrate.
Vancouver: Activists were attacked by the police using pepper spray, several were arrested.
Wellington (NZ/Ao): Hundreds of people marched through Wellington and briefly shut down burger outlets.
Los Angeles: More than 3,000 people marched through the city, with a large number of Philipina women workers turning out.
Topics: Labour movement, Global justice