It was illustrative of the 1 May demonstration in Groningen. After the last speech in the music dome of the Noorderplantsoen Bella Ciao, and not De Internationale, sounded the classic workers’ struggle song from the speakers.
This Italian partisan song has been gaining ground in recent decades as a vocal weapon against oppression of any kind. Thanks to the extra fame through the Netflix series La casa de papel the song has become even more widely applicable and recognizable as a protest song against everything.
The demonstration in Groningen was still about socialism versus capitalism, but it was much broader than that. Don’t exaggerate when it comes to ‘a lot’, because more than roughly a hundred participants were not in the mood for this classic day.
Day of the declared strike against the union
Labor Day was already filled with tragedy in advance. This time it was the day that employees of the trade union FNV decided to take up arms against their own federation the next day. A strike, therefore, for more wages from the union that demands more wages for its members everywhere. Quite ironic, and at the same time sorry for the image.
Labor Day, an American invention in the 19th century, has never had the same significance in the Netherlands as elsewhere. Almost all of Europe is free on May 1, we are not. That is partly, but not from the outset, inspired by Queen’s Day and later King’s Day before, plus May 4 and 5 after, special days that tightened May 1.
Since the disappearance of communism, socialism that lingers a bit, and the capsizing social democracy, the future for May 1 celebrations may lie in the variant that gathered late Monday afternoon at the Vismarkt. No longer the languishing Labor Day, but a day of protest against injustice in everything. So against oppression of cashier slaves, against squeezing slumlords, for gay rights, and so on.
Anti-capitalism is still the common denominator
The group of demonstrators certainly had a common denominator, given the slogan that sounded incessantly during the march to the Noorderplantsoen. “A-Anti-Antikapitalista!” Not a Dutch slogan, which was also logical, because the procession was very international in composition, with a single Cuban flag and yet also a hammer and sickle. The procession walked via the Oude Kijk in ‘t Jatstraat, across the Lopende Diep and Spilsluizen and through the Nieuwe Ebbingestraat to the park. In, as is often the case, an almost festive demonstration atmosphere.
Mayday was the umbrella for the numerous extra-parliamentary organizations that had joined. Literally perhaps ‘May Day’, but originally derived from the French ‘ m’aidez ‘, or ‘help me’. And there were speeches against women’s oppression, against the exploitation of working students, against their lousy housing, against the RUG bosses who broke up an occupation instead of guaranteeing the safety of staff and students.
Criminal record of the North
There was a table with publications against the Palestinian oppression, the International Socialists stood up for the gay movement in word, banner and writing, there was talk of climate misery that went hand in hand with the capitalist mess. And there was vegan food. With between the information tables also anarchists with their Criminal record of the North . As a hint to the bourgeois press, in the tradition of what was once the squatters’ movement.