May Day Protests Underway In U.S., Worldwide

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Two members of Occupy Oakland join striking Golden Gate Bridge, bus and ferry workers at the Larkspur Ferry Terminal in Larkspur, Calif on Tuesday.
Eric Risberg / AP

By EDITOR

Originally published on Tue May 1, 2012 3:12 pm

From Brazil to England, from Morocco to Paraguay, May Day protests are on their way.

Here in the United States we’re seeing protests in both coasts from New York to Los Angeles.

Here’s how The Wall Street Journal set up the protests in Manhattan:

“Protesters kicked off May Day in Midtown Manhattan with apparently peaceful pickets outside the offices of major corporations and dozens of smaller targets, including restaurants and bank branches.”Early rains seemed to dampen turnout Tuesday morning, but as the skies let up more demonstrators streamed into Bryant Park, the staging area designated by organizers from Occupy Wall Street, labor unions and immigrant groups.”

And here’s how our friends at KQED, who are live-blogging the protests, set up the protests in the San Francisco area:

“The morning ferry commute for North Bay denizens headed to San Francisco has already been cancelled due to a labor action by workers in a dispute over health care, and last night in the Mission car windows were broken and the police station on Valencia Street was vandalized by a group of protesters.”

We’ll keep our ear to the ground and update this post as the day progresses, so make sure to refresh this page.

Update at 4:10 p.m. ET. In Seattle, Police Fire Tear Gas:

The Seattle Times reports that after protesters broke a window at the U.S. District Court building police fired tear gas to stop them.

Update at 3:52 p.m. ET. Arrests, Gas Fired In Oakland:

KQED reports that police have made at least one arrest in Oakland.

“Reporting for KQED, Don Clyde says violence has broken out at 14th and Broadway in Oakland,” KQED’s News Fix reports. “Clyde saw a woman on the ground face down surrounded by police, media and protesters. Bottles were thrown at police, who are trying to push the crowd back. Flashes and smoke. At least one arrest.”

The AP reports that authorities fired gas at several hundred protesters who were blocking traffic near the Oakland City Hall.

The AP reports:

“The chaotic scene recalls several earlier clashes between Occupy protesters and Oakland police.”The protests are part of worldwide May Day demonstrations that have drawn tens of thousands of people into the streets from the Philippines to Spain. They demanded everything from wage increases to an end to austerity measures.”

Update at 12:46 p.m. ET. Acts Of Civil Disobedience:

The New York Times reports that the protest in New York got off to a slow start, forming picket lines in front of the Bank of America tower at 42nd Street and Avenue of the Americas.

The Times also reports on a couple of small acts of civil disobedience:

“Protesters carrying placards denouncing corporate greed very briefly blocked Fifth Avenue – for about 15 seconds – and were moved along by officers. At another point, a man was led off in cuffs after witnesses said he stopped while crossing a street in Midtown and would not move, but the police did not confirm any arrests as of 11 a.m.”