In Chicago, where the labour movement was very strong and left-oriented, a series of events unfolded over three days involving strikes, lockouts and demonstrations. The police carried out a series of brutal attacks on strikers and demonstrators that led to a protest rally in Haymarket Square which was also attacked. The ensuing fight claimed the lives of several police and strikers and the arrest of labour leaders. The militant leaders Parsons, Spies, Fischer and Engel were framed on trumped up charges and hanged. Several others were sent to prison.

Although the American workers gave birth to the eight hour movement and its kick-off in May 1887, the Second Socialist International meeting on the 100th anniversary of the fall of the Bastille in Paris in 1889 gave it internationalism by adopting a resolution calling for a great world-wide demonstration for May 1, 1890, in conjunction with the one already called by the American Federation of Labour in the United States. International May Day was born.

From that time to this May Day has developed internationally and historically, and its celebration (or lack of it) in a sense reflects the level of class struggle and consciousness in a given time and place. To the most advanced working class organizations, some with state power, it is the symbol of the revolutionary struggle for emancipation and socialism. To some right-wing elements it is the symbol of communism and the Soviet Union.

May Day is the property of all working people and the expression of their historic struggle for quality of life and emancipation from all forms of exploitation that expropriates the product of their labour for private wealth. It embodies not only the dream of a non-exploitive society of peace and security, but the entire ongoing struggle from the origins and every single inch along the way. It perpetuates the process of liberation by presenting the dream.

May Day has become a celebration of working class achievement, and a traditional time of analyses and projection, of the past and the future. It has become the symbol of Internationalism and Solidarity that transcends borders and raises the consciousness of working people globally, in the recognition that we belong to the same class, have the same objectives and the power to win them. It is feared by exploiting capitalism that seeks to localize it and rob it of its revolutionary internationalism.

The winds of change can rage and ebb. In 2005, the world we live in howls. The spectre of war hangs over us. The globalization plans of the imperialist states competing to capture the peoples and their national wealth, threatens the environment, condemns large sections of humanity to a subsistence existence, creates famine and an environment of disease and hunger for most of the world's people.

Conversely, the developing forces of the international working class, emerging from the confusion after the failure of the larger socialist states, are significant and powerful. The world liberation and revolutionary movement is re-emerging, finding effective methods of struggle, strengthening internationalism and holding state power in some countries. For years the Socialist Republic of Cuba held firmly and splendidly to its' internationalist duty, providing ideological and material support to liberation movements while toiling under tremendous hardship from terrorism and embargo from the USA. The accomplishments of the Cuban people have provided a firm foundation of support for the front line revolutionary movements of Latin America, in particular Venezuela. Every day the plans of imperialism are set back by the emergence of "fair trade" and anti-imperialist alliances in Latin America. Capitalism and its agenda cannot hold the people back. We will not tolerate our entire planet being made into a prison factory.

In Canada, the will of the majority of our population forced the Liberal government to back away from the demands of American militarism and deny participation in "Star Wars". This anti-war sentiment is growing and will be a decisive issue in the next federal election. Being imprisoned as suppliers of cheap resources, energy and water in a "fortress America," being recruited as junior partners in Imperial American schemes to exploit Latin America and the third world, losing our culture, our social programs and our independence along the way, are facts realized by more and more of our population as the major threat of our times. Political consciousness is growing and there is a feeling of restlessness among the people, expressed in the nations of our country perhaps differently, but nevertheless growing. These expressions of restlessness must be satisfied also in a new determination to create equal and voluntary partnership between the nations that will guarantee the survival of Canada.

When the Canadian Labour Congress meets in convention in June, there will be hundreds of resolutions dealing with every aspect of working class life. Many of these resolutions will never reach the floor, but many others from their sheer numbers and importance will be debated. There is a growing restlessness also in the trade union movement that carries with it challenges to policy, leadership and priority. If it does not crystallize at this convention, the groundwork will definitely be laid for major shakeup at the next. There will be a challenge to the leadership of Georgetti and his brand of corporate trade unionism, which is unable stop the decline of labour and recapture the social dynamic needed to lead a people's fight-back movement. This will be an ongoing subject in the next few months.

This May Day we need to look toward a more powerful response from the labour movement to the attacks on the people, their property and their programs. We need to think about how we can put the "movement" back in labour and re-introduce it in every corner of working class existence, not only in the workplaces of the 30% minority organized in unions. We need to organize as a class and build the culture of resistance, led by labour, that will fulfil our international solidarity in the global struggle of our brothers and sisters everywhere. We need to deny our people and our resources to the warmongers, and strengthen the universal struggle for peace and national liberation, for the environment, for emancipation of women and against all forms of racism and discrimination.

The Canadian people are involved in this struggle and are capable of rising to the need. We will stand in solidarity with our neighbouring workers and all working people. There is a federal election brewing, and any attitude of "business as usual" that does not analyse the danger of a Tory government and integration into US imperialism is shallow, dangerous and irresponsible. We need to demand that all progressive and working class forces develop the political alliances necessary to defend the interests of the people and reshape our unity and solidarity. Ultimately we need to put socialism back on the agenda.

The Communist Party of Canada is dedicated to this struggle.

Happy May Day, Sisters and Brothers!