European May Day 2021 and Walpurgis Night

Antique sanitary restrictions did not interfere with the May Day demonstrations. Moreover, Labor Day has become an occasion for active protests against the quarantine measures that are boring to everyone, reports Euronews.

In Turin, despite the restrictive measures, hundreds of people took part in the May Day demonstration. They were joined by opponents of the quarantine. The demonstrators tried to march to the city hall, but law enforcement officers got in the way. Thus, the peaceful demonstration ended in a confrontation with the police.

In Austria, the main action took place in the capital of the country, Vienna. It was attended by about 700 demonstrators, peacefully marching from the city hall to the Vienna theater. Despite slogans against anti-antiquity measures that violate the rights of citizens, the demonstrators kept within the law. True, the police had to work hard, calling for the observance of social distance. However, everything ended peacefully.

In Belgium, instead of a demonstration, teenagers threw a massive party in the park. It was also held under the slogan of fighting the restrictions associated with the coronavirus, and the participants gathered on appeals on social networks. The main message of the party is a protest against wearing masks and restricting freedom.

In most countries, the current May Day will be remembered for street riots, mass protests, clashes with the police and detentions, sometimes, as in Turkey, especially harsh. This was the case in Germany and France, Turkey and Great Britain. However, some countries simply celebrate the long-awaited arrival of spring. And in Northern Europe, for example, the night of May 1 is called Walpurgis.

This is the day of the canonization of Saint Walpurga, an Anglo-Saxon nun who preached Christianity to the pagan Germanic tribes in the 8th century. This holiday is celebrated in Estonia, Finland and all German-speaking countries by weaving wreaths, a merry Sabbath on Walpurgis Night, bonfires, and the election of the May King and Queen. But in Sweden, they found a compromise: Walpurgis Night is celebrated on April 30, and International Labor Day is celebrated on May 1.

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