Celebrate May Day

Reading: Guardian, Independent and BBC News Websites, The Morning Star, local freesheets, some pages of Prince and Picknetts latest tome and some pages of Finnegans Wake.
Listening: Mozart (Royal Philharmonic)
Viewing: Channel 4 News headlines, SkyNews.
May Day is almost upon us. The traditional time to celebrate international workers' solidarity, the coming of spring, hope for the future and the the struggle for a better world. Remembering the struggle for the eight hour day and the Haymarket Martyrs. Hopefully in Britain the Green left will be present on lots of May Day marches - I will certainly be attending one or two (made possible by some marches being on Saturday and some on May D ay itself) distributing the Ecosocialist Manifesto, the Green Revolution Statement and Green Party Trade Union Group leaflets.
Here are details of some of the bigger ones -

London
May Day 2006 assembles at Clerkenwell Green, Islington - close to Farringdon tube and Mount Pleasant Sorting Office - from 12 noon to move off at 1300.
The March then goes along Cklerkenwell Road to Theobalds Road, past Red Lion Square down to Holborn tube, down Kingsway to Aldwych, along Strand to Trafalgar Square.
Expect to arrive at the Square 1415-1430 with the rally starting at 1430.
The Rally will last until about 1600.
Speakers so far include -
Gloria Mills President TUC, Brendan Barber GS TUC, Tony Bemm, Tony Woodley GS TGWU, Randall Howard GS South African Transport & AWU, Maria Helena Andre ETUC, Paul Kenny GS GMB, Dave Prentis GS UNISON, Derek Simpson GS AMICUS, Greg Combet Australian CTU, Bob Crow GS RMT, plus international speakers and Gate Gourmet .
3 bands are confirmed so far and more are expected.
The Rally will be welcomed by Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London.
I think that the Green Party TU Group Banner will be in attendance as a rallying point for green trade unionists.

Chesterfield

01/05/06 CHESTERFIELD TUC MAY DAY CELEBRATIONS
29th People's Gala and Demonstration
May Day is recognised as a day of celebration for workers throughout the world. From Africa, Asia, Latin America to Europe people celebrate International Workers Day. Chesterfield has a proud record of being part of these world-wide celebrations showing both international solidarity to fellow workers in struggle in other countries and also providing a focus for the campaigns and struggles of working class people in Britain and here in the East Midlands. The theme for this year's May Day is "Defend Trade Union Rights".

Come along and join in, bring the whole family.

Assemble for March at : 10:30 a.m. at the Town Hall (don't forget to bring your banners, flags, whistles - we want this to be the biggest, nosiest and most colourful march to date)

Rally in New Square : 12 noon.

Nottingham May Day march - Saturday 29th April, focussing on refugee rights and international solidarity -
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/03/337037.html