May Day protesters demand workers’ rights amid pandemic

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

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.