Taiwan May Day
Thousands of workers took to the streets to mark May Day in Taiwan on Monday to protest labour policies, putting pressure on the ruling party ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
Gathering on Ketagalan Boulevard in the capital Taipei City, members of labour groups waved flags representing their organisations.
Some medical workers wearing protective gear held placards with messages calling for subsidies.
Donny Hsu, from Taiwan’s northeastern Yilan County, said workers faced difficulty coping with the rising cost of living.
Chu Mei-hsue, the President of Taoyuan Confederation of Trade Unions, said his workers were demanding the reinstatement of holiday days cut by the government.
This year’s May Day events had bigger turnouts globally than in previous years as COVID-19 restrictions were drastically loosened and opposition centred on how governments’ economic plans will affect workers.
Turkey May Day
Turkish police detain protesters attempting to hold a Labour Day demonstration in Istanbul, with the city centre's famous Taksim square closed off.
The city is expecting mass International Workers' Day rallies ahead of key May 14 elections billed as a referendum on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's two decades in power.
May Day, which falls on May 1, is observed in many countries as a day to celebrate workers’ rights with rallies, marches and other events.
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