International Workers’ Day, or May Day, is being celebrated with rallies and protests all over the world today, Thursday, May 1.

In Washington D.C., a May Day march is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. in front of Union Station to the Capitol building, finishing at the White House. Other marches have been organized across the country, with thousands expected at the rally in Los Angeles alone. Many May Day rallies are being held to bring attention to immigration reform, minimum wage, the rights of migrant workers and more.

In Seattle, the 14th Annual May Day March for Worker and Immigrant Rights has garnered a lot of attention after recent May Day marches have broken out into violence. On May 1, 2013, police arrested 17 protestors, and police have been working to ensure the safety of the march.

Istanbul, Moscow Celebrate May Day

In Istanbul, Turkey, thousands gathered for a May Day march in Taksim Square despite the Turkish government’s decision to ban traditional May Day gatherings on the square. Around 20,000 police were stationed at Taksim Square on Thursday, and angry protestors with fireworks and rocks attacked them as they tried to get to the square. The police responded using water cannons and tear gas to keep the people at bay.

“It’s only 10 a.m. and we are already being gassed as the government tries to silence our voices. They won’t succeed, we are ready for a long day,” said 25-year-old Gulsen Kaymak as he protested.

Taksim Square has historically been a site for protestors to stand together, and a few unions released a joint statement Wednesday saying that they would not be adhering to the ban.

“We will be in Taksim despite the irrational and illegal ban. All roads will lead to Taksim on May Day, and our struggle for labor, equality, freedom, justice and peace will continue,” read the statement.

Authorities also turned on protestors in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where demonstrators gathered despite a ban on protests. A reported 1,000 workers stood outside the city’s Freedom Park. Some were beaten by officers and at least five people were injured.

Moscow saw the first big rally on Red Square since 1991. The Soviet Union held annual May Day rallies on Red Square, celebrating the laborers. These May Day celebrations were a huge spectacle, but Moscow’s Mayor Sergei Sobyanin assured the public that the demonstration would be completely different than those of the Soviet Union. In fact, many believe that the May Day celebration, organized by unions loyal to President Vladimir Putin, is an attempt to rally Russian support and patriotism in light of Russia’s involvement in Crimea.

Russia is also seeing a neo-Nazi march in St. Petersburg, and a neo-Nazi demonstration is also taking place in Sweden.

Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.