Govt request not to hold May day rallies defied  

A number of political parties and trade unions went ahead with their May Day rallies and demonstration meetings  today, ignoring the Government’s request to hold them on May 7^th. 

Among these were the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna in Jaffna, ITAK in Jaffna, Frontline Socialist Party (Fort Railway Station), Tamil National People’s Front -Kittu Park in Jaffna, the University of Jaffna non-academic staff  -University Premises.

The leftist parties that held their rallies did so revering the significance of the date (May 1^st) as the “only” unchangeable date of the International Workers’ Day. Some of these parties called out the Government’s decision to postpone celebrations to the 7^th as a political trick. 

The Frontline Socialist Party (FLSP) who held their rally outside the Fort railway station said that the reason the two governing parties had postponed May Day wasn’t for any religious reasons at all.

“But because they are in a very weak position and don’t have the crowd support to hold a powerful May Day Rally,”  Premakumar Gunaratnam, the FLSP’s organising secretary. 

“All of a sudden the Government has started playing the religious card. This is to hide their weakness,” Mr. Gunaratnam said. “Also, Vesak was brought forward to create this mess, whereas it should have been celebrated as usual in mid-May,” he said.

“But this day (May 1^st) bears great significance to the worker. This was paid for in iron and blood and there can’t be any compromise for it,” he said. 

The area was populated with banners denouncing imperialist politics and cultural invasions. Also present on stage, next to the figures of Marx, Engels and Lenin, was a snake bearing the American flag, and a dollar sign on its tongue, being crushed by a giant fist.  (AN)

In pictures : TNA May day rally in Batticaloa