First of May is a day of mourning and struggle, not to party! ---- Text published in the
first edition of Opinion Anarchist CALC, distributed at the first meeting of the CEL
(Circle of Libertarian Studies), on May 1, 2013. ---- May 1: Fighting with the "low" or
celebrate with a "top"? ---- "I have been treated here as a killer and only if I have
proved that I am an anarchist. For repeat that protest against this barbaric pity because
I was not proven any crime. But if I have to be hanged for professing anarchist ideas, my
love of equality, liberty, fraternity, so I have nothing to object. If the death penalty
is correlative to our burning passion for freedom to the human species I say loudly:
disponde of my life! " ---- (Adolph Fisher, one of the martyrs of Chicago)
Brief history of the origins of May 1st in the world:
The date of May 1 has its related events that occurred in 1886 in the United States of
America, in Chicago origin. That year there were demonstrations throughout the U.S. who
shared the struggle for the 8 hours of work. 35,000 people in Chicago were the streets in
seeking such claim in 1886, resulting manifestation of this 6 dead and 4 wounded. On May
4, amid a workers meeting that happened in Haymarket Square, a bomb is "mysteriously"
thrown at police.
Unable to find a culprit by the police decide to arrest anarchists, activists highlighted
the labor movement. Were arrested: George Engel, Adolph Fischer, Louis Lingg, August
Spies, Samuel Fielden, Oscar Neeb, Michael Schwab, Wilian Lessinger, Jhon Most. Later, it
occurred before the trial Albert Parsons, also wanted by the case, but Outlaw, would
indulge in a sign of loyalty to his comrades. The trial takes place on August 28, 1887,
this according to the researchers of the labor movement and Cardoso Araujo were aimed by
the "(...) North American authorities saw this trial the opportunity to eliminate the
influence of anarchism among the workers "(Cardoso & Ara?jo, 1986). The results of the
trial are convictions the strength to Parsons, Fischer, Engel, Spies, Fielden to life
imprisonment, Schwab, 15 years of imprisonment for Neeb and expulsion of Most U.S. Lingg
committed suicide in prison-and Lessinger disappeared in the prison in which I was.
In memory of the "martyrs of Chicago," as they became known workers convicted during the
"Haymarket Square massacre," the II Congress of the IWA (International Workers
Association), occurred on June 11, 1889 declaring the 1st May day struggle for 8 hours.
This Congress still had the anarchist militancy in their spaces (expelled in 1896). In
1890 the U.S. approved the 8-hour workday in 1894 is revised judging the "Martyrs of
Chicago" that came to be considered innocent, thanks to the struggle and organization of
American workers.
The May 1st on earth Arauc?rias
The first genuinely working celebration of May 1 in Brazil is in Santos in 1892. In
Paran?, the date was initially celebrated as a "compact" class, the authorities and the
business media era stimulated the friendliness of the employees, they should receive date
as "gift" from their bosses. We can see in the article published in the local media of
Curitiba on 1st May 1900 ". Paran? At present workers today expressions of sympathy for
our peaceful and dignified way that celebrate and glorify" (Apud, Daily Afternoon ,
Curitiba, 1 May 1900). In subsequent years it remained the "good behavior" until in 1907
the League of Shoemaker calls a march and artistic activities that memorassem day of
"mourning and struggle" in the Teatro Guaira. From this time the date would be subject to
dispute by the working class and elites, as well as their right to free organization. That
same year the article (No 1637) which allowed the expulsion of immigrants is approved. In
later years we will have public acts of the working class: in 1908 in Curitibana Employees
Association of Commerce is founded the Workers League 1 May 1909 and the act of May 1
occurs in the Worker Protection Society, when the date passes the also be of mobilizations
in several coastal cities driven by the demonstrations in the capital. Later in 1913 the
date is cause for a massive demonstration against the famine that forces the municipality
to negotiate with a committee of workers, the day becomes a time of exercise of direct
action, such an element can be found in the May 1 1917, according to Cardoso Araujo and a
harbinger of the General Strike of 1917.
Faced with a situation of strong rise of the organization of the working class, while it
is a proletarian revolution in Russia, and similar attempts occur in Brazil as the 1918
Uprising in Rio de Janeiro, the state through its government fulfills its role of defender
of the ruling classes. President Arthur Bernardes would create in 1923 the 5221 law that
allowed the closing of workers' associations, which actually regulate a practice, in that
the Workers Union Paranaense, for example, had been closed in 1920. Anarchists, principal
animators the labor movement at that time, has "special attention repression", having a
law banning their advertising law enacted in 1921 to 4269. Years of 1929 and 1930 appear
as moments of resistance where we see the date is celebrated by workers of unlinked form
elites.
In 1930 was elected Get?lio Vargas, a populist who sought to seal the pact classes. In
1931 creates the Ministry of Labour, bringing the law of unionization, unions
subordinating the granting of the state, a situation that remains today. This law
ultimately destroy the freedom of workers to organize. As the prosecution was not enough
to appease the spirits of the exploited classes in 1932 are adopted the first labor laws,
under the tutelage of "father of the poor" of which sought to erase from history such
measures the years of struggle of the working class, true responsibility the adoption of
such laws. To have dimension of time: if you approve laws protecting labor on one hand,
and forbade parades on May 1 of each other.
The crackdown would intensify in the years of the Vargas government, which would end up as
a dictatorship during the Estado Novo (1937-1945). This period would destroy all
autonomous labor movement. It follows this time a series of attempts to link the May 1
date to a civic, festive, as well as already pointed out in 1919 with the transformation
in this holiday, was adopted in 1943 CLT (Consolidation of Labor Laws) this date, in
another of Vargas efforts to demonstrate that the class struggle was not necessary.
Such a trend would consolidate the local movement, and even national, he could not react
in the following decades. Throughout the 50 record was the "party of work", with the aim
of memorar father of the poor. Would long years so, until around the year 60, reappeared
street demonstrations of patient empowerment die. But such a move would not ripen in 1964
and get a second coup, now military regime that would ban unions. From 1964 to 1968 we see
a strong repression of the labor movement. The military regime would make the date a civic
moment again for celebrations, sports practices, "order" anything but fight. In the late
70s we would see an outline of reaction of the local workers movement, succeed-that year
many demonstrations and strikes for democratic rights.
Throughout the 80s the movement of workers accumulate forces to overthrow the
dictatorship. In 1983 the first direct elections demonstrations occur in Brazil, Curitiba
as having a place of mass demonstrations around the agenda.
This movement forces accumulated throughout the period of democratic reopening, forging
class organizations that would be responsible for playing the struggles of the exploited
classes, among them the CUT (Central Unica Workers). This early identify much with the
design of the PT (Workers Party), because this party is formed by those who were in the
struggles for freedom and rights, and more, drives with his activism such organisms. These
are replaced by "umbilical" connections. Throughout the decade of the 90 EN matures its
electoral project. CUT follows as a support for such a project, culminating in victory
Lula presidency in 2002. This puts us in a situation where the labor movement ultimately
become of labor support applications.
At the present moment is a work-related party that runs the country. The State, however,
has not changed its character, continuing to attack the rights of the working class. What
has changed with all this was the attitude of the class and its organizations, today fully
involved by the state agenda. If "yesterday" were the "representatives" of the ruling
classes and cassavam repressed workers' rights today are from working class those who
govern for the sake of exploration. The latest attack is led by trade unionists, applauded
by government and employers, which is the ACE (Special Collective Agreement), which aims
to make the union contracts (between employer and labor) law. Such a law would make for
ending labor rights in practice, since currently the vast majority of unions is detached
from the basis of their decisions, and that has easily cooptable directions.
In another May 1st we are on the verge of more attacks on the working class. Throughout
the twentieth century, the ruling classes with support from the State sought to stop the
movement of independent, combative and revolutionary workers. Today the movement is on the
defensive, and more, the rule is the cooptation of workers for electoral projects, by the
mere movement based "labor" applications, bringing workers to the hall of bourgeois
politics (the State). Today those who sought to be "representatives" of the class are
those who manage the operation. The ideological confrontation between the idea of a May
1st day of "Party of work" or day of "mourning and struggle," it is increasingly
necessary, see the big "festivities" funded by unions, political parties and state. You
must recover not only the 1st of May, but the labor movement into the hands of these,
after the "emancipation of the workers will be the workers themselves."
Download the version that was printed from Anarchist Opinion / CALC No. 1 here Anarchist
Opinion 1-1 of May 2013
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