In addition to the activities from Helsinki in the previous Nordic Report, there have been reports released on the First of May in Tampere. In weeks up til the First of May, posters were hanged against NATO and Nordic military co-operation with the slogans from the joint Finnish-Norwegian statement, as well as posters mobilising for the First of May.
The day started with a commemoration at the red mass grave at Kalevankangas cemetery. The demonstration was arranged by the Social Democrats, Left Alliance Party, as well as their trade unions. Despite their best efforts, among the 500 demonstrators, many showed enthusiasm for the fliers against NATO, among other things. A red bloc lead by revolutionaries in the demonstration had the slogan “Socialist revolution, against imperialism!”, inside the demonstration flags with hammer and sickle, as well as a sign stating “Unite under Maoism!” was present. With the direction of the megaphone, during the whole march, shouts were echoed repeatedly, such as “not blue, not white – the 1st of May is red and international!”, “no NATO to Finland!”, “death to imperialism!”, “international solidarity, socialist revolution!”, and also were heard the May Day slogans from the International Communist Movement, “Long live the 1st of May, raise high the invincible Red Flag!”, “Down with the imperialist war! Long live the people’s war!”.
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Later in the day the revolutionaries moved to combat fascist gatherings on the First of May, with the struggle developing to being a struggle between the revolutionaries and the police. The police attempted to make arrests and steal from the demonstrators, but they were fiercely combated by the revolutionary forces. The entire report from Punalippu can be read in English on their website.
