In bright but unseasonably cold weather, a black and red banner stretached across the whole of c. de Bravo Murillo. Chants of "¡muerte al estado! ¡Vive la anarquia!" and one translating as "a worker fired, a boss hanged!" echoed down the street. Though the banner was wide, the crowd behind was a little thin. It was remarked that there were a lot more people five years ago. There was a nostalgic feel, with 1930s songs playing on the soundsystem, bordering on kitsch when it came to the red and black miliciano-style hats people were wearing. However, to a newcomer the march was impressive in size, militancy and volume.
After the march, people listened to CNT speakers through a small PA. The themes of the speeches would be familiar to any International Workers Day. They spoke about the need for solidarity with migrant and “illegal” workers. The challenges posed by “precarity” of employment. There were speeches on the ending of the Mercadona strike and the history of MayDay.
After the speeches, tension mounted when the police, who had previously kept a very discreet distance, detained one man. Apparently this was for taking photographs of them. The crowd surrounded the two officers and their colleagues moved closer on foot and with four vans. A stand-off ensued, lasting until the crowd decided that the police were attempting a deliberate provocation ahead of the rest of the day's events. “Look at them, they're not workers, they're the friends of the bosses,” they chanted as they walked away. Later in the day there was a communal meal and a “Reclama las Calles”.
After the march, people listened to CNT speakers through a small PA. The themes of the speeches would be familiar to any International Workers Day. They spoke about the need for solidarity with migrant and “illegal” workers. The challenges posed by “precarity” of employment. There were speeches on the ending of the Mercadona strike and the history of MayDay.
After the speeches, tension mounted when the police, who had previously kept a very discreet distance, detained one man. Apparently this was for taking photographs of them. The crowd surrounded the two officers and their colleagues moved closer on foot and with four vans. A stand-off ensued, lasting until the crowd decided that the police were attempting a deliberate provocation ahead of the rest of the day's events. “Look at them, they're not workers, they're the friends of the bosses,” they chanted as they walked away. Later in the day there was a communal meal and a “Reclama las Calles”.
