More celebrating May Day, a photo from our May Day "Picnic on the Green" 2019, organised by the May Day Organising Committee, each year we have organised this event it has got bigger, this year was to be better and bigger but Covid19 screwed that up somewhat.
We have tended to organise other events around the May Day event, history walks, very popular, film show, march and rally, discussion group, etc. Let's hope that next year we will be back with a bigger and better celebration, celebrating the forced changes we have made to the way this society is run since the pandemic.
Glasgow May Day celebrations kick off on Tuesday May 1st. Don't forget our gathering at the Donald Dewar statue at the top of Buchanan Street, performers and stalls 12 noon May 1st.
Then that history walk, Wednesday May 2nd. 6pm, a stroll through the city stopping to learn a wee bit about the Glasgow's radical past, then the main event, the annual Picnic on the Green, Glasgow Green, Sunday, May 6th. from 2pm. again a wee bit of everything, singers, musicians, poets, dancers, face painting, and food to share. Bring what you expect to find, bring the family, bring your street.
Here's a wee bit of info.
Our fair city of Glasgow is steeped in history, a lot of it is spread out for the public to see, captains of industry, blood soaked defenders of imperialism, Dukes and Lords. None of which tells the story of the people of Glasgow, their history is airbrushed from view, but every street, every corner as a tale to tell of the struggles of the ordinary people. The history the powers that be, would have you forget.
So if you are a citizen of Glasgow or just a visitor who wants to know a bit more about the real Glasgow, the Glasgow of the people, then you can have that opportunity during our May Day week celebrations.
A group of ordinary Glasgow dwellers have put together a week of events marking May Day. It starts on Tuesday May 1st with a gathering with performers and stalls at the Donald Dewar statue 12noon. Then that history thing, on Wednesday 2nd. May, a history walk through the city where you will learn a bit more of the real heart of our fair city of Glasgow.
Start and Stop 1: 6pm George Square Wednesday MAY 2nd Eric on 1915 & 1919 Supplementary info on Demos/Interaction.
Stop 2 6.15: Montrose Street: Keith - Info on Strickland Press and Aldred, The Word etc.
Stop 3: Old Sheriff Court – Eric on Rent Strike, John McLean etc 6.25
Stop 4: opposite – Brunswick Street 40s Anarchist Federation street meetings & activities – Keith 6.35
Longest stretch of walk via Tolbooth, Gallowgate & London Rd.
Stop 5: – Calton Burial Site – 1787 Weavers – Keith 6.55
Stop 6: – Glasgow Green, via Templetons, Peoples Palace to entrance
7.05: On Free Speech Fights, tradition in the Green & 90s Workers City etc. Keith & Eric, Summary/ interaction at end
7.20: Head back to town, perhaps after refreshment, Scotia Bar
After your dip into Glasgow's real history, the week culminates in our annual Picnic on the Green, Sunday, May 6th. 2pm. An event of fun, chat, song, music, dance, poetry, face-painting, food sharing, and stalls, bring what you expect to find, bring the family, bring your street.
The people's version of Glasgow May Day 2018, as opposed to the sanitised TUC version, with the political ballerinas telling us how they can lead us to the promised land, starts with Tuesday May 1st. a gathering at
Donald Dewar statue 12 noon with performers and stalls, Wednesday May
2nd. A history walk through our city, limited places available, so get
your name down now. The week culminates with a picnic on the Green,
Sunday May 6th. again performers, stalls and food to share, its a
picnic. If you fancy doing a wee slot at either the May 1st. or the
picnic on the Green May 6th. a song, a dance, or play an instrument,
read a poem, juggle or what ever takes your fancy, get in touch.
Whatever you do, come along, bring the family, bring what you expect to
find, bring your street. See you there.
I said there would be a few more photos of the May Day Picnic on The Green, well here they are. Thanks to all the friends, and comrades for all their very positive feed back, lets hope we can keep up the connections and build some positive events.
May Day is fast approaching, sadly so many of our young people have had its true significance erased from their memory, its true purpose is never emphasised in our babbling brook of bullshit, the mainstream media. They would rather spout it as a holiday, so go shopping, buy a ticket for a show or sit in front of your TV and overdose on the candy-floss and bubble-gum crap that it pours out over your living room floor. However, May Day is a very important day in the history and culture of the working class, the ordinary people.
It is a day to celebrate our victories in the struggle for that better life for all. A day to remember all those who tirelessly fought the battles to improve all our lives, our working class heroes. A day to meet up with old friends and make new friends, a day of chat, fun, discussion, for all that vast army of ordinary people who struggle day to day.
In an attempt to bring Glasgow May Day, as it should be, back to that great celebration of ordinary people, in the open air, a group are holding a May Day picnic on The Green, on the First of May 2pm onwards, bring what you expect to find, bring the family and friends, bring your street. Enjoy singing, poetry, music, chat, fun, laughter and friendship. See you there.
On Monday May 1st, from 2:00 pm in the east part of Glasgow Green next to the cycling centre, across from the Templeton Factory, join us for a family day, a fun day, a day to celebrate the solidarity of the working class and on the Green where it belongs. Music, poetry, banners, face painting, singing, food to share, friends to chat with, people to meet, stories from our radical past, and news of actions and projects of the present.
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?
