Millions of protesters took to the streets of cities and towns around the world Sunday to mark May Day, or International Workers’ Day. In France, tens of thousands marched through Paris, warning newly reelected President Emmanuel Macron against rolling back workers’ rights. Unions say they’re prepared to strike if Macron presses ahead with plans to slash unemployment and pension benefits, while raising the age of retirement from 62 to 65.
Joshua Antunes: “Macron has just been reelected, but he was reelected to stop the far right, yes, but not for his program. And so, today I think it is important to show Macron and the rest of the political world that we are ready to protest to defend our social rights, defend what we stand for, defend minorities, minimum wages, retirement age at 60 and many other things.”
In Turkey, police arrested more than 160 people on Sunday after protesters ignored a ban on protests in Istanbul’s main Taksim Square.
In Chile, three people were wounded by gunfire at a rally in the capital Santiago after vigilante street vendors opened fire on May Day protesters. Elsewhere in Santiago, thousands marched to celebrate a 12.5% increase in the minimum wage approved by the newly elected government of socialist President Gabriel Boric.
In Buenos Aires, thousands of protesters marched to demand a reversal of austerity measures Argentina recently agreed to in exchange for a bailout from the IMF.