Shouting “banzai!” or “live long,” thousands of people gathered in a Tokyo park on Thursday and marched through the streets to the banging of traditional drums, as Japan kicked off celebrations to mark May Day.
In Indonesia, President Prabowo Subianto took to the streets of the capital, Jakarta, to greet thousands of workers who cheered him amid tight police and military security in National Monument Park.
“The government that I lead will work as hard as possible to eliminate poverty from Indonesia,” Subianto told the crowd.
The holiday, also known as International Workers’ Day or Labor Day, marks the struggles and achievements of workers and the labor movement around the world. Thousands of people are expected to attend rallies and demonstrations calling for stronger protections for workers, higher wages, greater equality and more.
____
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
