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Colourful rallies around the world mark May Day

Workers around the world mark May Day with protests and demands for better pay and employment conditions.

May day / International labour day
Supporters of the Iraqi Communist Party wave their party's flag as they attend a march to celebrate May Day, also known as Labour Day, on May 1, 2015 in the Iraqi capital. [Ali Al-Saadi/AFP/Getty Images]
By Al Jazeera and Agencies
Published On 1 May 2015

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Demonstrations have taken place around the world as protesters gathered to mark May Day, also known as Labour Day, the annual day when workers take action to demand increased labour rights.

With 80 countries around the world marking May 1 as a public holiday, Istanbul’s Taksim Square was in lockdown on Friday, after the Turkish government banned May Day protests there.

Large rallies were held in Europe and across Asia – including in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Cambodia, the Philippines and South Korea – where workers demanded an increase in minimum wages and better living conditions.

May day / International labour day
Turkish protesters clash with riot police during a rally for May Day in Istanbul. Police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesters attempting to reach the city's Taksim Square, local media reported, where the May Day rallies have been banned. [EPA/Ulas Yunus Tosun]
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May day / International labour day
Garment workers and other labour organisation members took part in a rally to mark May Day, International Workers' Day in Dhaka, Bangladesh. [Anadolu Agency/Getty Images]
May day / International labour day
Protesters, mostly workers, throw tomatoes at the photo of Philippine President Benigno Aquino III during a rally near the Presidential Palace in Manila to mark May Day. The sign reads: 'Nothing has been changed, nothing has been delivered.' [AP Photo/Bullit Marquez]
May day / International labour day
Thousands of people protested in front of the presidential office in Taipei to during the annual Labour Day to demand higher wages and labour rights, according to local media. The head banner reads, 'shorten working hours, no overfatigue.' [Patrick Lin/Reuters]
May day / International labour day
Malaysia's opposition and activists rallied in Kuala Lumpur on May Day, also known as Labour Day, against the rising cost of living due to reduced subsidies and increased taxes. [Mohd Rasfan/AFP/Getty Images]
May day / International labour day
Tens of thousands of South Korean workers rallied in Seoul, vowing to wage an 'all out general strike' if the government pushes through with planned labour reforms. [JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images]
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May day / International labour day
Thousands of Japanese protested in demand for better labour programs and higher salaries for low income workers to mark International Labour Day. Among demands, rally participants marched to defend the Constitution and showed their opposition to nuclear power. [EPA/FRANCK ROBICHON]
May day / International labour day
Leftist groups protested in the streets of Berlin, Germany during the traditional Walpurgis Night. Police in Berlin say the traditional ‘Walpurgis Night’ protest marking the first day of May was calmer than previous years. [Britta Pedersen/dpa via AP]
May day / International labour day
People marched through Red Square during a May Day rally in Moscow. [Maxim Zmeyev/Reuters]
May day / International labour day
France’s far-right National Front demonstrators chant slogans during their annual May Day march, in Paris. [AP Photo/Francois Mori]