May Day Megabrawls: The Anarchic Origins of Berlin's Labor Day Riots
- by Phil Göbel
- 4 Min
Unrest on Labor Day: Investigation into the Root Causes of the Violence and Rioting - Unrest and Disorder on Labor Day: Investigating the Causes of the Chaos
Year after year, May 1st sparks controversy. While many folks just take advantage of the day off for a hike or a brewskie-filled stroll, May 1st is also the yearly date for massive demonstrations advocating for workers' rights and attacking capitalism. In towns like Berlin or Hamburg, these protests often transform into riots, with bonfires, cars blazing, street wars, and a hefty police presence dominating images of "May Day." But where did this tradition of chaos originate - where individual protests escalate into urban combat?
The "Haymarket Rampage" - The Root of May 1st
Today, May 1st is celebrated as "Labor Day," but the name seems tame in a historical context. Originally, it was known as the "Day of Struggle of the Working Class." The origins, including its political and violent components, can be traced back to 1886 in the United States. Around 90,000 workers in Chicago demonstrated on Haymarket Square for the introduction of the eight-hour workday. The date was chosen deliberately: May 1st was the infamous "Moving Day," when employment contracts were renewed or expired, forcing many people to scramble for employment.
Protests led to a city-wide strike by Chicago workers. In an attempt to suppress the strike, police opened fire on protesters, killing six. The real chaos began two days later: In an attempt to violently disperse a solidarity and memorial march for the deceased on Haymarket Square, bloody skirmishes erupted. One protester is rumored to have hurled a bomb into the crowd - twelve people died, including a police officer, and six other officers later succumbed to their injuries in the hospital. The day went down in history as the "Haymarket Rampage."
Although no culprit was ever identified or linked to the event, eight organizers of the strike were later arrested and sentenced to death. The sentences were later commuted to life imprisonment and eventually overturned by the governor of Illinois.
International Socialists Proclaim May 1st as Day of Struggle
Three years later, the "International Socialist Congress" proclaimed the commemoration of the victims of the uprising and named May 1st the "Day of Struggle of the Working Class." Since 1890, May 1st has been celebrated worldwide as a "protest and memorial day" by left-wing groups.
And it made its way to Germany, too: During the Kaiser era, public assemblies and propaganda were banned by the so-called "Socialist Laws." At that time, May events had a more festive character. During World War I, protests focused on the war and militarism, with violence being an exception.
In the Weimar Republic, May 1st was declared a public holiday once in 1919 as the "Day of Labor." After 1933, the Nazis misused it for their propaganda and changed the name to the "Day of National Labor." The staged propaganda parades bore no resemblance to the original workers' struggle day.
Only after World War II did the day regain some of its original spirit - at least in the West. In East Germany, the SED leadership used the day for propaganda parades under slogans like "May 1, 1960 - socialism triumphs." In West Germany, trade unions took over the organization of large rallies, with workers' rights a central focus, eventually incorporating criticism of the Vietnam War and demands for greater social justice. In the 1980s, sometimes over a million people participated in May events in West Germany.
1987: A Glorified Street War That Birthed Annual Riots in Germany
While there were already skirmishes at Labor Day protests in the 1960s and 1970s, it was 1987 that set the stage for the annual riots still going on today. The scene of the action was West Berlin. The tension in the divided city was already high before the event. On one side, the left-wing scene viewed the CDU-led Senate as repressive, while on the other hand, there was criticism of the preparations for the upcoming 750th anniversary of Berlin. But what was the tipping point was an announced census. Critics feared it would escalate "anonymization," and left-wing groups called for a boycott.
On the morning of May 1, 1987, police raided the Mehringhof, an alternative cultural center in Kreuzberg, breaking down the doors and searching the offices of the boycott initiative. The police justified the measure as "emergency action," further stoking tensions.
After the traditional street festival in Kreuzberg initially passed off peacefully, violence erupted in the afternoon. Individual activists toppled a police car, and the police responded by violently dispersing the entire festival with batons and tear gas.
What followed was a street war that still echoes in the left-wing scene today. To halt the police advance, protesters built barricades and pushed construction vehicles onto adjoining streets in Kreuzberg. The police partially retreated under the cheers of residents.
The chaos lasted until the early hours, particularly around the Oranienstraße. The entrance to the main streets was blocked with burning barricades, left-wing extremists set fires, attacked firefighters, and looted numerous shops. The police only advanced again between 2 and 3 AM with armored vehicles and water cannons. After taking the centers of the riots, more than 100 people were injured, and 47 were arrested.
Although the 1987 May Day riots, in retrospect, were nothing more than a few hours of chaos and looting, they symbolize the (temporary) victory against the state power and laid the foundation for the tradition of rebelling against it. In the 1990s and 2000s, the protests in Berlin were characterized by pro-demos and counter-protests between left-wing and right-wing extremist groups. Similarly in cities like Hamburg and Leipzig. In recent years, however, violence at May events has been steadily decreasing.
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- KreuzbergThe 1987 escalation of May Day protests in West Berlin's Kreuzberg district stemmed from a combination of socioeconomic tensions, political activism, and neighborhood-specific dynamics. While the provided sources do not explore the immediate triggers of the 1987 protests thoroughly, they paint a picture of Kreuzberg as a long-standing hotbed of revolutionary activity, anti-gentrification struggles, and refugee solidarity movements[1].
Key factors likely contributing to the escalation:
- Gentrification pressures: By 1987, Kreuzberg faced rising rents and displacement threats, sparking organized resistance. The area’s status as a low-income, countercultural hub (with a large immigrant population) made it a flashpoint for clashes over housing policies[1].
- Radical political networks: The neighborhood’s history of revolutionary activism, including anarchist and autonomist groups, provided the infrastructure for large-scale mobilization and confrontational tactics. Searches show Kreuzberg’s centrality in "revolutionary demos" and street-level organizing[1].
- Broader political climate: West Berlin in the 1980s was marked by heightened tensions over Cold War militarization, anti-nuclear movements, and squatters' rights. May Day’s historical significance as a symbol of labor militancy probably amplified these grievances into direct action.
Comparatively, the sources do not detail the 1987 protests explicitly but suggest that the pattern aligns with later Kreuzberg uprisals, where housing, policing, and systemic marginalization fueled violence. The area's 1980s squatter movement and clashes over urban renewal projects likely contributed to the 1987 unrest[1].
Comparatively, the sources highlight other 1980s civil disturbances - such as Fiji’s 1987 coup and Ottawa’s 1989 bus hijacking - that shared anti-establishment motivations but lacked Kreuzberg’s unique blend of grassroots activism and socioeconomic precarity[2].
- In 1886, the Haymarket Square demonstration in Chicago for the eight-hour workday, known as the "Haymarket Rampage", was a significant event that led to the international commemoration of May 1st as the "Day of Struggle of the Working Class".
- The "International Socialist Congress" declared May 1st as the "Day of Struggle of the Working Class" in 1889, three years after the Haymarket Rampage.
- In West Berlin during the 1980s, the combination of socioeconomic tensions, political activism, and neighborhood-specific dynamics in Kreuzberg led to the escalation of May Day protests, giving rise to the annual riots still occurring today.
- The 1987 May Day riots in West Berlin symbolized a temporary victory against state power for some in the left-wing scene.
- Due to the historical significance of May 1st and the political and violent origins of the day, the annual protests have often evolved into riots, leading to tension and confrontations with the police.
