(COLOMBO) – Hundreds of additional police personnel were deployed in Sri Lanka’s commercial capital of Colombo and the immediate suburbs on Wednesday as thousands of people were expected to throng the area to participate in several International Workers’ Day rallies organized by political parties, trade unions and others.
The event is more or less a political show of strength rather than a workers’ day rally and is held annually in this Indian-Ocean Island Republic.
Around 40 marches and rallies are scheduled in Colombo and other major cities across Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka began officially recognizing Labour Day in 1927, and the first major May Day Rally in the country was held in 1933.
The origins of International Workers’ Day, also known as May Day, trace back to May 1, 1886, when workers in Chicago protested for an eight-hour workday, sparking significant labour actions.
This day evolved into a global observance for workers’ rights following the tragic events at Chicago’s Haymarket Square, where a rally on May 4 turned violent after a bomb was thrown at the Police, resulting in the deaths of several Police officers and an unknown number of civilians.
This incident led to the arrest and subsequent execution of several labour leaders, known as the Haymarket Martyrs.
