EuroMayDay
Encyclopedia
EuroMayDay is a political day of action against precarity
promoted by a network of feminist
, anti-capitalist
and migrant
groups and collectives in mostly Western Europe
. It takes place on the 1st of May each year, May Day
, traditionally a celebration of solidarity among workers across the world. EuroMayDay has been promoted as an attempt to "update" the traditional May Day by focusing on flex and temp workers, migrants and other "precarious" people living in Europe.
In 2005, the EuroMayDay network used the slogan Precarious people of the world let's unite and strike 4 a free, open, radical Europe. The Middlesex Declaration of Europe's Precariat emerged from the Beyond ESF event held in parallel to the European Social Forum
held in London in October 2004.
EuroMayDay originated in Milan
, from where it first spread to Barcelona in 2004, and then to a dozen cities all over Europe in 2005. It has been claimed that the number of participants has increased from 5000 people in Milan in 2001 to 50,000 in 2003, and 100,000 in 2004 (Milan and Barcelona together). In 2005, approximately 200,000 people took part in EuroMayDay demonstrations and actions, mostly in Western Europe. In 2006, while some groups dropped out of the process, the number of cities participating grew to involve 300,000 young demonstrators in the EuroMayDay parades held in twenty EU cities. EuroMayDay groups exist in many different cities. Signatories include Für eine linke Strömung, the chainworkers, Syndikalistiska Ungdomsförbundet, and ACT! unterstützt Zapatistas.
Precarity (Euromayday)
* For a sociological view of labor conditions, see Precarious work* For a social Christianity view see Precarity Precarity is a condition of existence without predictability or security, affecting material or psychological welfare...
promoted by a network of feminist
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
, anti-capitalist
Anti-capitalism
Anti-capitalism describes a wide variety of movements, ideas, and attitudes which oppose capitalism. Anti-capitalists, in the strict sense of the word, are those who wish to completely replace capitalism with another system....
and migrant
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
groups and collectives in mostly Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
. It takes place on the 1st of May each year, May Day
May Day
May Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures....
, traditionally a celebration of solidarity among workers across the world. EuroMayDay has been promoted as an attempt to "update" the traditional May Day by focusing on flex and temp workers, migrants and other "precarious" people living in Europe.
In 2005, the EuroMayDay network used the slogan Precarious people of the world let's unite and strike 4 a free, open, radical Europe. The Middlesex Declaration of Europe's Precariat emerged from the Beyond ESF event held in parallel to the European Social Forum
European Social Forum
The European Social Forum is a recurring conference held by members of the alter-globalization movement . In the first few years after it started in 2002 the conference was held every year, but later it became biannual due to difficulties with finding host countries...
held in London in October 2004.
EuroMayDay originated in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, from where it first spread to Barcelona in 2004, and then to a dozen cities all over Europe in 2005. It has been claimed that the number of participants has increased from 5000 people in Milan in 2001 to 50,000 in 2003, and 100,000 in 2004 (Milan and Barcelona together). In 2005, approximately 200,000 people took part in EuroMayDay demonstrations and actions, mostly in Western Europe. In 2006, while some groups dropped out of the process, the number of cities participating grew to involve 300,000 young demonstrators in the EuroMayDay parades held in twenty EU cities. EuroMayDay groups exist in many different cities. Signatories include Für eine linke Strömung, the chainworkers, Syndikalistiska Ungdomsförbundet, and ACT! unterstützt Zapatistas.