ISTANBUL, Turkey, May 1 (UPI) -- The celebration of May Day, the labor holiday, took place around the world Friday, with demonstrations, protests and violence in some cities.
May 1, chosen to commemorate the rise and importance of workers, is regarded as a day to organize and demonstrate the strength of the labor movement and leftist political groups. It often becomes a day of protest. Friday's biggest clash with police occurred in Istanbul, Turkey, where defiance of a ban on organizing in the city's Taksim Square led to the firing of tear gas, use of water cannon to disperse of tens of thousands and at least 136 arrests.
The incident comes prior to nationwide parliamentary elections in Turkey, a vote in which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hopes for a large victory, which could lead to constitution changes and broader power for Erdogan and his AK Party.
The conflict in Istanbul on Friday was Turkey's first large-scale protest since the government approved a bill expanding police powers to crack down on protesters, a residue of unrest in Turkey in 2013.
Gasoline bombs were thrown at police in Athens, Greece, during anti-austerity demonstrations. An effigy of Philippine President Benigno Aquino was burned in Manila during a protest of low wages by workers. Cars were burned during demonstrations in Milan, Italy, and an anti-migrant demonstration took place in Pozzalo, Sicily, near a common embarkation point for refugees seeking European asylum.
Police in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, arrested 59 people, and a demonstration in Seoul, South Korea, attracted thousands, many protesting government handling of a 2014 ferry boat sinking that killed nearly 300 people. Twelve were arrested at the Seoul demonstration for "attacking the police."
May Day commemorates the May 4, 1886, shooting in Chicago of demonstrators demanding an eight-hour workday, an event remembered as the Haymarket Square Riot. It was quickly chosen as a day to honor workers and was endorsed by left-wing groups worldwide. Over 100 countries now celebrate the day, many as an official holiday.
The United States endorsed a day to honor labor in 1887, but deliberately chose a day in September, moving it away from May 1 to keep it from becoming a leftist celebration.
