Tired of the ritual Glasgow May Day, a boring walk through the city and then sit in a cinema listening to "our leaders", spout how they will save the world. Well, a group of is are trying to bring May Day back to the Green and make it what it was meant to be, a family day, a fun day, a day of celebration. Sunday May 1st. we are organising a family get-together/picnic in the Green, with a little bit of the history of May Day. It is early days yet but there will face painting, music, singing and performance poetry, among other events, so bring what you expect to find. As I said, it is early days yet, but hopefully it should kick off around 1:30pm. on May 1st. So if you like, you should still be able to have your march around the city and come back to the Green to meet up with friends and comrades and have a friendly afternoon. May Day belongs to the people, and belongs on the Green, let's bring it back.
More information will come out as the arrangements develop. Please throw your own ideas into the pot, and watch this space, we'll keep you informed.
May Day demonstration in Victoria Road, c 1930s. This parade is probably heading to the Queen's Park, where politicians and trade unionists would give speeches. The Independent Labour Party (ILP) are marching alongside the nearest tram.May Day was declared an international working class holiday by the International Working Men's Association (First International) in Paris in 1889. 1 May is the traditional date for May Day, but up until 1918 May Day rallies in Glasgow were held at the weekend. The 1918 rally was the first to be held on a weekday and the Glasgow Herald estimated that 70,000 people attended in spite of having to take a day off work.
May Day Glasgow Green 1913, ahh, wouldn't it be lovely to see such numbers again?
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