A Combative Internationalist Workers Day

Esteban Diaz

This May Day I had the opportunity to march alongside the working class of Argentina to protest against the payment of the foreign debt and for increased wages and more jobs.  The turnout was massive.  The working class exhibited its internationalist character in uniting across the board against world capital.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators around the entire world came out to struggle demanding the capitalists pay for the crisis, with incidents taking place in Greece (a country destabilized by a serious financial crisis), but also in Zurich, Macao, Jakarta.  Major demonstrations were also held in Spain and France.  In Athens and Thessalonica, Greece brief confrontations broke out between demonstrators and riot police.

In Turkey, thousands of demonstrators assembled in Istanbul’s Thaksin Square for first time in 33 years; demonstrations had been forbidden there since May 1, 1977, when unknown assailants opened fire on the crowd killing 34 people.

Germany again transformed May Day into a day of anti-fascist resistance and opposition to the extreme right, as peaceful demonstrations were held in Berlin and other cities.

This day has been yet another show of the internationalist unity and combativeness of the whole proletariat in the face of the international financial crisis so that the crisis is paid for by the capitalists.