Maio, Nosso Maio

Feita com Software Livre e em um processo coletivo, a animação "Maio Nosso Maio" apresenta de forma leve e compromissada uma leitura histórica que resgata o sentido original do Dia dos Trabalhadores.

This world where the mighty trample the workers

and tell us this is the way it must be

will collapse

and a world of freedom will arise

where everyone will contribute to a better life

said August Spies when sentenced to death by the tribunal

charged for being the leader of May 1st 1886

By the second half of the XIXth century

the economy of Europe and the United States had been totally transformed

many workers that lived out of what they produced from the fields

now depend on salary

farmers, shoemakers, artisans

all of them are now operators

12... 13... 16 hours of work

Beat-point

Precarious conditions, little money to eat, live, and return to work

They sold the strength of their arms too cheaply

Short afterwards, they discovered that such strength could be used

to defend themselves, their families and companions

The operator's indignation ripens

new lines of action and thought appear

that look for the organization of workers

they dreamed with a new society

with no oppressed nor opressor

a just, fraternal society

In Chicago, the beginning of a general strike was called for May 1st

stopped operatives, stopped machines

workers from all genders in the streets to fight for a better, renewed life

The repression shot its arms cowardly

and 6 people died

in answer, anarchists called for a grand act

on the day of May 4th at the Haymarket Square

the troop in service marched again against the masses

a bomb interrupted the journey

Fussiles and machine guns sounded highly

too highly

it's been said that for 5 minutes

rioters died, police too

All of them workers from all genders

someone had to be considered guilty

and 5 leaders from the worker's movement were arrested

sentenced to the capital punishment

the judgement would be annuled years after their death

the ideas, not since

they are not made from flesh nor bones

they defeat death and win the world

In 1889, the II International Socialist

announces May 1st as the Worker's Day

The main flag, the reduction of the working day

8 hours of work

8 hours of pleasure

8 hours of rest

1890, Spain for 8 hours of work

1907, Festival in La Paz, Bolivia

1909, 30 thousand people in Buenos Aires, Argentina

1913, 25 thousand workers in Mexico

In Russia, the Czar falls

the victory of popular power invites to the awakening of rights

the fight of workers, symbolized by the May 1st,

was improving the life and allowing new demands

In 1919 the ILO, International Labour Organization,

have determined 8h of workday and 40h of working week.

Goverments and entrepreneur celebrate with the workers

Great carnivals of music, games and gifts

amused and inebriated the memory of the date

they wanted to reinvent the May 1st

But if have ever marked in the calendars

Day of fight!

1920, ten thousands workers in Japan

1925, founded the National Confederation

of Chinese Syndicates

1946, Australia, Aboriginals does a strike to reclaim better labour conditions

1950, mobilization in South Africa

1954, 30 thousand people in Honduras

1962, tens of thousands people in Portugal

1968, Paris Spring, workers and students

1970, Seatle, EUA, protests against the war in Vietnam and Cambodia

1975, Angola, national holiday

1978, Chile, protests agains the ditatorial government of Pinochet

It is May, the our May...