MADRID — A gamut of emotions flowed through the world’s May Day protests this year: Anger. Fear. Elation. Despair.
With Europe’s unemployed denouncing austerity measures, Asia’s laborers demanding higher salaries and U.S. protesters condemning Wall Street, Tuesday’s demonstrations by hundreds of thousands were less a celebration of workers’ rights than a furious venting over spending cuts, tax hikes and soaring unemployment.
The protests came just days ahead of key elections in Greece and France, whose leaders have felt anger over policies many feel are strangling any hopes of economic recovery. The rallies reflected deep pessimism in Spain, dealing with a fragile economy in the cross hairs of the European debt crisis.
Yet optimism and national pride emerged too. More than 100,000 turned out in Russia for May Day rallies that celebrated Vladimir Putin’s government. And tens of thousands of workers rallied with joy in France, hoping this would be the last week of President Nicolas Sarkozy’s conservative leadership.
Communists and leftists held a separate May Day rally in Moscow that attracted about 3,000. Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov decried international economic troubles, saying that “without socialism, without respect for the working people who create all the main value in this land, it is not possible to get out of this crisis.”
Thousands protested in the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan and other Asian nations. They said their take-home pay could not keep up with rising food, energy and housing prices and school fees.
