Ten Days That Shook the World: the documents

Situation in 1919

Legend

Red, Red Banner: Territory held by the Commonwealth of Socialist Unions of England

Blue, Union Jack: Territory held by the British Crown (government in exile in Ottawa)

Green, Crossed Rifles: War between the British and/or Unionist and/or independentist forces going on in the territory (usually, all three)

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Let's wave the Red Banner, Comrades!

International Workers' Day (a name used interchangeably with May Day) is a celebration of the social and economic achievements of the international labor movement.

May Day commonly sees organized street demonstrations and street marches by millions of working people and their labour unions throughout most of the countries of the world — though it is strictly forbidden in Canada and in the other loyalist territories of former the British Empire.

International Workers' Day is the commemoration of the Haymarket Massacre in Chicago in 1886, when Chicago police fired on workers during a general strike for the eight hour day, killing several demonstrators.
In 1889, the first congress of the Second International, meeting in Paris for the centennial of the French Revolution and the Exposition Universelle, called for international demonstrations on the 1890 anniversary of the Chicago protests.
These were so successful that May Day was formally recognized as an annual event.

In 1904, the International Socialist Conference meeting in Birmingham called on "all Social Democratic Party organizations and trade unions of all countries to demonstrate energetically on May First for the legal establishment of the 8-hour day, for the class demands of the proletariat, and for universal peace."
As the most effective way of demonstrating was by striking, the congress made it "mandatory upon the proletarian organizations of all countries to stop work on May 1, wherever it is possible without injury to the workers."

May Day has long been a focal point for demonstrations by various socialist, unionist, and anarchist groups.
It has also seen right-wing massacres of participants as in the London's Whitechapel massacre of 1914.

Due to its status as a celebration of the efforts of workers and the socialist movement, May Day is an important official holiday in socialist countries such as the Commonwealth of Socialist Unions of England, People's Republic of Korea, Egypt, and the former British Dominion of India.
May Day celebrations typically feature elaborate popular and military parades in these countries.

May Day was celebrated illegally in England until the February Revolution toppled the Winsor regime, enabling the first legal celebration in 1917.
The following year, after the Unionist seizure of power, the May Day celebrations were boycotted by Social-Democrats and members of the former Tory Party (outlawed by the LabLeg in December, 1917)

It became an important official holiday of the Commowealth of Socialist Unions, celebrated with elaborate popular parade in the centre of the major cities.
The biggest celebration was usually organized on the Trafalgar Square, where the General Secretary of the Unionist party traditionally give his speech to the crowds from the "Broken Column".



1st May Parade, 1965, London, Commowealth of Socialist Unions of England

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