May Day marked with defiant rallies


May 2, 2018 at 12:00a.m.

Associated Press

MOSCOW

Workers and activists around the world marked May Day on Tuesday with rallies and other events to press their governments to address labor issues.

International Workers’ Day is a public holiday in many countries, though activities are restricted in some places, sometimes leading to confrontations.

A look at some of the events around the world:

FRANCE

Thousands of people marched across the French capital to protest President Emmanuel Macron’s economic policies during a May Day event that brought scattered acts of vandalism and arson to Paris.

Several vehicles, including a car, a motorbike and a construction digger, were set on fire. A Renault dealership and another car shop were smashed up, while a McDonald’s restaurant was looted and left blackened by smoke.

RUSSIA

More than 100,000 people came out on the streets on Moscow to march in the traditional May Day parade.

Moscow’s Federation of Trade Unions said about 120,000 people marched from the Red Square on the main streets of the Russian capital to mark May Day.

TURKEY

Police detained dozens of demonstrators during May Day events around Istanbul, most of them protesters who tried to march toward the city’s symbolic main square in defiance of a ban.

CUBA

Communist Party head Raul Castro and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel led a Labor Day parade Tuesday, the first joint appearance by both leaders since Diaz-Canel was chosen to lead the island’s government.

GREECE

Thousands of Greeks marched through central Athens in at least three separate May Day demonstrations.

PUERTO RICO

Thousands of Puerto Ricans marched to protest pension cuts, school closures and slow hurricane recovery efforts as anger grows across the U.S. territory over looming austerity measures.

GERMANY

Berlin police said more than 1,500 protesters have marched through the city rallying against capitalism and racism. The Tuesday night demonstration was tense but mostly peaceful in comparison to past May Day rallies in the Germany capital.