Location for Calan Mai 2009

The original call out for a marking of International Workers Day in Wales centered on a large event in Cardiff, there was a number of obvious reasons for this, but by no means does that mean anything has to be prescriptive. Indeed perhaps a decentralized, multi-topic and multi-tactic mobilization would be a better choice.

Some on a thread on urban75 have suggested for events in multiple locations across Wales, on his Red Rememberer blog Gethin ‘Iestyn’ Gruffydd suggests Swansea as the most suitable location.

Where any Welsh MayDay event takes place is not that important, what is important is that one does take place! Matters such as location, themes and tactics need to be decided upon by the coming together of people from across Wales who wish to see such an event happen. A meeting to get this process started will be called in the near future, though given the geographical area that many of the activists who have an expressed any interest live in the south eastern corner, this will almost certainly take place in Cardiff.

MayDay 2008

Whilst there was no noticeable marking of Mayday in Wales this year, there were plenty of marches, rallies, demonstrations, strikes and protests in other places. Here’s a selection of a few which caught the eye, if there’s any you think have been missed, why not put a link on the comments section.

Indymedia provided an international round up , whilst you can find reports of Mayday in the UK on Indymedia UK – the traditional London Mayday march happened & ex-south wales resident Ian Bone though it was awful. There were widespread protests in the USA one of the most interesting being a one day strike by Dock workers against the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. For more the Immigrant Solidarity Network has complied reports from around the world.

Promoting the interests of the international working class by protesting in solidarity with migrant workers has been a significant part of what May Day is all about, after all three of the Haymarket martyrs were migrants themselves. The dockers strike against the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, shows a different line, rather than acting out of economic imperative or in solidarity with people of common cause, it was the workers demanding an end to military aggression. 

A call for Calan Mai 2009

Calan Mai is the 1st May – On this day Mayday rallies, marches & cultural events happen all around the world, there is scarcely a capital city in Europe without a MayDay parade, Cardiff is notable for not holding a regular event. Indeed there has not been a proper marking of Mayday in Wales since Social Forum Cymru 06 in Aberystwyth.

May Day is International Workers’ Day, a day that should recognise that the working class is an international class; that the oppressed and exploited throughout the world have everything in common with each other and nothing in common with ‘their’ nation, ‘their’ government and ‘their’ bosses. So migrants, refugees, those deemed ‘illegal immigrants’ by the State,those facing deportation, people in detention, should be at the center of what May Day is all about. 

Across Europe many cities organise protests and rallys as part of EuroMayday – a process by which actions and demands are put forward to fight the widespread precarization of youth and the discrimination of migrants in Europe and beyond: no borders, no workfare, no precarity!

The demands surrounding the protests for EuroMayDay 008 are:

• full legalization for all persecuted migrants
• self-organizing and unionizing rights freed from state repression
• unconditional basic income
• a european living wage
• free access to culture, knowledge, and skills
• the right to cheap housing

We call for a similar themed events to take place in Cardiff on 1st May 2009!