May Day protests: Who did the day belong to?

May Day demonstrations around the world have passed off relatively peacefully so far, without the riots and mayhem that many had been predicting.

There were some violent incidents -notably in Germany and Australia- but the day belonged mainly to peaceful, colourful demonstrators.

In London, after the experience of last year when shops were attacked and public monuments defaced, many businesses boarded up their premises and the police were out in great numbers.

But the expected confrontations failed to materialise. A big gathering of demonstrators in Oxford Circus (dubbed by campaigners "the jugular vein of consumer capitalism") was at moments tense, but did not turn violent.

Has the day been a triumph for peaceful protest? Or do you think it has been a triumph of policing? Did the authorities in your country get the balance right between the need for public order and the right to protest?

This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.

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Your reaction

I attended the May Day protest in Brisbane

Paul Gibens, Australia

I attended the May Day protest in Brisbane, which, despite what the media claimed, was overwhelmingly peaceful. All those people who have written in branding protesters 'yobs', 'louts' and 'unwashed' and those who rant endlessly about 'getting a job' and 'contributing to society' know this: your pay and conditions, pensions, healthcare, environment and democratic rights are amongst the things that stand between the ruling classes and greater profits. When free-market fundamentalism downsizes and outsources your livelihood away and you're on the streets queuing for bread, you'll feel as strongly as we do!
Paul Gibens, Australia

The people who complain about the demonstrators are clearly happy with their lives, jobs etc. Unfortunately they may one day wake up and realise that not everybody is as happy as they are. Hundreds of millions throughout the world are underfed and underpaid and millions even in the UK are living below the poverty line. Big business is always the winner and I admire those who take to the streets in the face of police brutality, public resentment and Government anger to display their right to protest against this imbalance due to globalism.
Tez Houghton, UK

I was held near Euston Station on May Day for almost two hours by the police using the same tactics they later used in Oxford Circus, only letting people go after searching them and taking their photographs. My crime? To participate in a peaceful demonstration, the Critical Mass bike ride. It seems to me that, sadly, most people in Britain will simply buy everything the police or the mainstream media tell them without trying to use their brains or to make up their own minds. The truth is, though, that we still have a right to protest - although on May Day it might not have looked that way.
Satu Rommi, UK

I was one of about 1,000 people detained unlawfully for 8 hours in Oxford Circus (Section 60 only allows the police to detain people for 6 hours without arrest). The crowd was composed largely of peaceful protestors, with the occasional aggressive troublemaker but also a few bystanders not taking part in the protest. This included a couple of unlucky German tourists who weren't allowed to leave even when they showed the tickets for the plane flight they were about to miss... All of us were cordoned off by police (including a staggering number of police in riot gear) without warning, without access to food, water, or toilet facilities and with no explanation offered. This wasn't about anti-capitalism - it was about freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, two civil liberties which Blair's government, London mayor Ken Livingstone and the Metropolitan police have shown they have nothing but contempt for.
Joe Macare, London, UK

The whole day was one of peaceful protest, but police action at Oxford Circus caused the tension to rise

Omar, UK

I was with the protest group at Oxford Circus from 2:00pm, and luckily managed to get into the subway before police closed it, or else I'd still be there now. Throughout the day, I saw only two acts of violence, carried out by one drunk man, who was not supported by the crowd in his actions. The whole day was one of peaceful protest, but police action at Oxford Circus caused the tension to rise. If 5,000 or so protesters are being pushed back into a small place from all sides, what are they supposed to do?
Omar, UK

One could be forgiven for thinking that these people were protesting against the use of soap and razors. I've never seen so much unkempt riff-raff in one place. If the police did not want to contain any crowds, they should have loaded the water cannons with hot soapy water.
Ian, London, UK

Without protesters advocating a serious alternative, capitalism has won the day. If there had been united support for real socialism (direct collective ownership and control of productive resources), then the world's multi-millionaire and billionaire asset owners would have been extremely worried about retaining their privileged lives. Genuine socialism has never yet existed, and only this system can replace capitalism.
Max Hess, UK

I have just watched the news and was shocked by the lack of support that the media were giving the police. By only showing police retaliating and omitting the violence of the protestors the news teams are causing the little respect many people have for the police to be reduced even further.
Emily Sylvester, England

As a person living and working in central London, I must congratulate the police

Solomon Drury, London, UK

As a person living and working in central London, and having seen first-hand the protest, I must congratulate the police. Although there was a peaceful majority who were quite legitimately exercising their right to protest, there was also a nasty group of individuals who were there to cause trouble. It was not police presence that caused a girl to spit on an elderly gentleman in a suit, or protesters to smash widows, and vandalise cars.
Don't we have a right to go about our business without the fear of violence? It's not as if the protesters were not warned!
Solomon Drury, London, UK

I am glad to say there were no protests of any importance here in the USA. An anti-capitalist demonstration? How foolish are these protesters? Only those who are abject failures in the world would have the will and the free time to take part in such useless activities.
Steve Brown, USA

I look at these May Day protests with increasing bewilderment. For a movement which represents anti-capitalist views, Third World debt relief and associated causes, a large portion of them indirectly seem to support this movement. How many of these people were wearing branded clothing or following a dress trend perpetuated by the global manufacturers?
M. Duke, NZ in UK

Oh, these middle-class dropout protesters will of course claim some sort of victory in closing down a little corner of capitalism for the day. It is their working-class brethren who will have to clean up the mess in the streets, though. Pity about that.
Simon Keiler, UK

I definitely think it was a triumph for people who are prepared to stand up for their beliefs that global capitalism is having a negative effect on our societies

Steven Woodger, Australia

I attended the May Day protests in Brisbane and I definitely think it was a triumph for people who are prepared to stand up for their beliefs that global capitalism is having a negative effect on our societies. It is also interesting to note that often people who oppose these protests often have irrational, stereotyped views of the protestors - i.e., the "the protestors don't understand what they are protesting about","get a job" type of nonsense.
Steven Woodger, Australia

Who did the day belong to? The violent, extremist protesters, obviously. The number of people marching on May Day was tiny compared to the National Union of Students' anti-fees march earlier this year, but this was passed over almost totally unnoticed by the media. Why? Because violence or the threat of violence is obviously far more powerful a publicity tool than actual numbers. I find it really worrying that everyone seems to promote these causes by publicising them, and happily overlook causes with greater support, simply because the supporters aren't out to damage and destroy.
Ben Ross, UK

May Day belonged to the corporations that run this country, just like every other day does

Mark, Scotland

May Day belonged to the corporations that run this country, just like every other day does. Whoever we vote for, the fat cats always win. That's what the May Day protests (and Quebec and Prague and Seattle and...) were about, and that's why they will not go away. Sorry if we get in the way of privatisations and profits, Tony Blair, but you're going to have to get used to it.
Mark, Scotland

What's the fuss about ? Middle-class students have been staging events of this kind for nearly 40 years. I know because I used to participate. Then I grew up, got a job, a suit, and a mortgage. Now I just cringe at the memory of it all, just like Tuesday's protesters will. Anyway, how many of them do you think have worked in McDonald's, shopped at Sainsbury's or worn Nike ?
Paul McDonnell, Australia (English)

Demonstrations in this country were low key and insofar as I am aware, there were no problems. But watching events around the world I am increasingly of the view that the presence of police in their new riot regalia is in itself a provocation. The world is becoming polarised and there is increasing antipathy towards free trade and globalisation because of the concentration of power in the wealthy corporate West and a perceived sense of powerlessness elsewhere. Whatever the rights and wrongs of this, it is clear that unless governments show themselves as being ready to listen and respect the views and wishes of those who are being deprived of a livelihood and a future, then things can only get worse.
Bill Wright, New Zealand

By not letting the crowds disperse, the police only increased the chance of violence through their own actions. There is no way that they can guarantee that a few will not go on to cause trouble, but keeping everyone contained together can only lead to trouble. There should have been high visibility patrols, not illegal imprisonment of thousands of lawful demonstrators.
Dominic Robinson, UK

Who are the so-called anti-capitalists demonstrating in European cities and the USA? Why are they pretending to love poor countries? How rich are the socialist countries? I believe, as an African, we are poor economically because of bad leadership and lack of foresight. We don't need your demonstrations.
Pascal Bessong, South Africa

Some say that protests like this aren't the way to change things, but what other way gets mass media coverage? If there was a less disruptive and peaceful way, it would be taken, but there isn't.
Dave Townsed, England

The papers have been building up the protests for the last three months

John Bell, UK

The media are the one's that hyped up all the anticipation of violence. Would the same protest have been given this much coverage if last year didn't happen? The papers have been building up the protests for the last three months and I suspect they will be disappointed they passed peacefully.
John Bell, UK

Shame on all the workers who stayed away from jobs in central London today. You have handed victory to the Visigoths. What has happened to the good old British-bulldog spirit?
Peter Smith, UK

Perhaps if the Government withdrew the benefits that most of these people live on, they would have to get a job and contribute to society like the rest of us lawful citizens
Jim Jordan, UK

Nothing more than an excuse for a bunch of yobs to go on a rampage

William Croft, UK

The May Day protest is not a sincere political gesture designed to raise the public profile of various worthwhile campaigns. Instead it is an annual jamboree for society's malcontents to express their anger at feeling disenfranchised. Whilst I accept that some people on this march genuinely do feel that they are successfully making their point, most of those taking part and certainly nearly all the general public, see this march for what it really is. Nothing more than an excuse for a bunch of yobs to go on a rampage.
William Croft, UK

The hype and over-policing due to the actions of a minority of violent protestors last year has meant that peaceful, large scale demonstrations against the injustices and evils of our world, many of which have the backing of the authorities, are prevented and suppressed. May 1st should be a holiday and violence should be dealt with in a manner which does not leave protestors, the vast majority of whom are peaceful and legitimate, surrounded by police and intimidated.
Benj'min Mossop, UK

It makes me incredibly angry to hear police chiefs talking about the "violent" protesters causing trouble at the May Day demonstrations in London. For a start, the only violence taking place is being caused by the police's containment policy. I was caught up in a similar situation trying to walk home from the Millennium fireworks in London. There was no protest, just families trying to take their children home - but because the police were blocking off all the roads, tempers were frayed, and things turned nasty. It's a very claustrophobic situation to be in, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if protesters being hemmed in push against police lines to get out.
Alice, UK

I am very happy that the demonstrations went peacefully

Marika Toumi, UK

I believe there has been a lot of scaremongering by the authorities, the police and the media about the May Day protest. It seems to me to be an attempt at presenting all anti-capitalist protesters as terrorists and thugs so as to conveniently discredit them as crazy extremist idiots. I am very happy that the demonstrations went peacefully and that the protesters did not let themselves be manipulated into the role that had been so unanimously crafted for them. A triumph of peaceful protest? Yes.
Marika Toumi, UK

It is unfortunate that in the so-called "free world" our rights to demonstrate without the fear of police brutality are diminishing.
Keith, Denver, USA

It bugs me when reporters choose to say that cyclists caused delays to rush hour traffic in the context of the day's events. We cyclists have to put up with delays every day caused by motorists blocking up roads and polluting the air. I am a car owner but choose to cycle as the quickest and most convenient mode of transport for London. The point of "reclaim the streets" is that we are fed up with this car-centric idea of transportation and wish that more people would make the right transport choices.
Anthony Brown, UK

Where and when did this habit of violence on May 1 start? Maybe we should get rid of communist day and replace it with Trafalgar day as earlier proposed? Cold water and tear gas is appropriate for most of the demonstrators who probably don't know why they are demonstrating anyway!
Andrew Davis, UK in USA