May Day Observed Throughout World

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30740, 3 May 1965, Page 13

May Day Observed Throughout World

(N.Z.P.A -Reuter —Copyright? LONDON, May 2.

About 6,000,000 people throughout Europe and Asia yesterday observed May Day, the Socialist labour day.

In Peking, three million Chinese filled the city’s streets and eight main parks for celebrations. Their theme was Vietnam and the “struggle against U.S. imperialism.” Thousands of marchers with banners converged on Peking’s Heavenly Peace square.

It was a gay, informal May Day with no - return to the highly-organised Moscow-type mass parade. In Moscow, hundreds of thousands of workers and shivering gymnasts marched through light but steady snow in an all-civilian parade. The traditional military’ parade was postponed until May 9, when Russia’s newest weapons will be shown. A record crowd of two million, according to police figures, listened to Left-wing Japanese leaders in Tokyo call for U.S. withdrawal from Asia.

In Singapore, riot police using tear gas broke up a May Day demonstration and arrested 271 persons. In Athens there were minor clashes when trade unionists defying a police -ban marched to the Ministry of Labour. Slogans chanted included “Hands off Vietnam,” and “Self - determination for Cyprus.”

In Rome Pope Paul offered prayers for the unemployed, the insecure and the underpaid at a public audience to

thousands of pilgrims in St. Peter’s... . ~ ' -

In Stavanger, Norway, the May Day organising committee switched planned demonstrations and speeches to the morning to leave the afternoon free to watch the British soccer cup final on television.