By Hari Sharma
Dear friends:
We request SANSAD members and friends to join in the May Day Rally, on Friday, May 1.
With some notable exceptions, May Day is honored all around the world as a day of celebration of the struggles and achievements of the working class and their allies. The origins go back to 1886 in Chicago where a general strike took place demanding an eight-hour working day. Police shot down and killed four workers at the McCormick harvesting Machine Co. plant. This led to the famous rally at Haymarket Square in Chicago. A police riot ensued, and many people were killed.
In 1889, at the founding meeting of the Second International (of socialist and labour parties) held in Paris, May 1 was declared as International Worker’s Day, to honour the martyrs of the Haymarket police firings.
Millions of workers and their allies take part in the May Day celebration, all around the world, year after year – to assert their determination and to expess international solidarity of the working people.
The “notable exceptions” are the USA and Canada. Neither the ruling classes nor their trade unions wanted anything to do with international solidarity. They announced their own Labour Days in the month of September. In the USA, May 1 was first declared, in 1921, as “Americanization Day”. In 1958 US Congress passed a law and president Eisenhower proclaimed May 1, 1959 as the first official observance of “Loyalty Day”. Since then every president has issued a proclamation, declaring again and again May 1 as the official Loyalty Day.
While the workers around the world declare their fundamental antagonism against the capitalists – by rallying, singing, shouting slogans and reasserting their right to struggle, the workers in North America are supposed to express their “loyalty” to their bosses.
A May Day celeberation in Vancouver, this coming Friday, is a part of the movement to reclaim the struggling heritage of the workers of the world. See if you can join it.
People before profiteering: expose the roots of the capitalist economic crisis, demand solutions for the working-class!
Announcement
MAY DAY RALLY AND MARCH 2009
In Vancouver
Friday, May 1, 2009
5:00 pm
Start at Vancouver Art Gallery, end at Victory Square
The May Day Organizing Committee invites you to attend:
People before profiteering: expose the roots of the capitalist economic crisis, demand solutions for the working-class!
* Gather at the Vancouver Art Gallery (Robson Street side, between Hornby and Howe) at 5:00 p.m.
* March at 5:30 p.m. to Victory Square (corner of Cambie and East Hastings)
Also featuring EVENING CULTURAL CABARET AND BOOK LAUNCH:
* Rhizome Café (317 East Broadway, near Kingsway) at 7 p.m. The cabaret will feature cultural performances and the launch of a new graphic novel about the history of May Day.
As the impact of the global financial and economic crisis continues to hit workers around the world, it is timely that we commemorate and celebrate International Workers’ Day in the spirit of international solidarity and to foster genuine solidarity amongst all workers, whether they be migrant, immigrant, undocumented, indigenous, or Canadian workers, and all exploited and oppressed sectors in Canadian society.
Advance workers rights in the workplace and in our communities!
End anti-worker attacks on wages, benefits, and security!
An injury to one is an injury to all!
Workers unite to defend the rights of migrant and immigrant workers and to strengthen international solidarity!
For more information, please contact the May Day Organizing Committee c/o
Grassroots Women at 604-682-4451 or the Organizing Centre for Economic and Social Justice at 604-215-2775.
We also welcome endorsements of the May 1 event by organizations.
Please contact us at the numbers above if you wish to endorse our event.