May Day 2006
It’s May Day aka. International Worker’s day. May Day commemorates the Haymarket riot of 1886, when labor unions in Chicago went out on strike for the 8-hour workday. May Day is observed internationally, except in the United States, where it has been moved to September and rebranded as “Labor Day”. Today, May Day is being observed in the United States–big time. “A day without an immigrant” protests were held throughout the U.S., in conjunction with a boycott of U.S. schools and businesses. I also encountered two local restaurants that were closed in observance. I did catch the tail end of the march in Austin, TX—helicopters, police cars and people everywhere. The mood seemed festive, there were lots of families out.