May Day show for the people

The media report that this year, in total, from 30 to 40 thousand residents of Khabarovsk took part in the festive procession dedicated to the Spring and Labor Day.

Khabarovsk representatives of the ruling party "United Russia" report that before the start of a large-scale demonstration, a solemn rally was held. The party leaders of the “Bears” party, who are also the top officials of the city and the region, addressed Khabarovsk residents with welcoming words.

“Dear fellow countrymen. Peace! May! Labor! We remember these slogans from childhood, and today they have not lost their relevance. The main indicator of today’s events is our youth,” said the acting governor of the Khabarovsk Territory, a member of the presidium of the regional political council of United Russia. Vyacheslav Shport.

“The holiday of spring and labor is rooted in our history. As always, today we honor working people, regardless of where a person works in the Khabarovsk Territory: in a mine or at a construction site, at a factory or on the road, as a school teacher or a doctor. The main thing is that that this work pleases and inspires people to a better life,” Alexander Sokolov, mayor of Khabarovsk, member of the presidium of the regional political council of “United Russia”, spoke passionately from the podium under the monument to the leader of the world proletariat V.I. Lenin.

“Our work is bringing results - we see an improvement in the economy, new facilities are appearing in all the cities and towns of our Khabarovsk Territory. Today’s holiday is a tribute to the great traditions that our grandfathers and fathers created,” the head of the municipality A.N. Sokolov solemnly told the audience. into the microphone.

If we recall, as reported by the AmurMedia news agency with reference to the RG, that according to research by the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, Khabarovsk is the most expensive city in terms of the cost of housing and communal services. Therefore, the mention of the efforts of local officials and their work, “bringing results,” takes on a slightly different meaning...

The trade union bosses, marching alongside representatives of the party in power, dared to endorse rather bold slogans for members of their trade unions on May Day 2013, for example, these bold appeals:

• The worker is the master of Russia!
• Down with debt slavery!
• For a social state and a decent life!
• We need jobs, not shocks!
• Housing and communal services tariffs are under strict state control!
• To a working man - respect and real pay!
• The corrupt official should be in prison!
• No to theft of budget funds!
• No to theft of public funds!
• Thieves and corrupt officials go to prison!
• Without social justice, Russia has no future!
• Oligarchs - don't huddle! Share your income with the country!
• Progressive income tax is a fair price to pay for the privatization of the 90s!
• Gazprom - stop! Take a look at the "people's program"! (and other “correct” slogans...)

The first column of the festive May Day procession, according to established tradition, was led by the highest commander of Khabkrai - the acting governor of the region, Vyacheslav Shport, and regional ministers.

The flags of the Young Guard, United Russia, and the My Land movement fluttered above the marching columns of demonstrators. Workers from culture, education, banks, public organizations, companies and enterprises took part in the procession.

In the direction of the city ponds, marchers folded flags and lowered banners. The procession ended, but the holiday did not end. There are still a lot of festive events ahead for Khabarovsk residents, local media reported.

After obligatory participation in the May Day march, people hurried about their business...

If you look at the faces of the ministers and officials of Khabkrai and Khabarovsk, presented on the May Day podium, with an average “labor” salary of 64.5 thousand rubles, one of the highest in Russia, you understand that these “working authorities” are far from the ordinary workers they they came to honor with their speeches and participation in the staged May Day procession.

Of course, other parties operating in Khabarovsk also tried. In the first half of the day, representatives of two more political parties held their “May Day rallies”.

According to tradition, members and supporters of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation will appear in the center of Khabarovsk first. The rally at the monument to the “eternally living” Ilyich (V.I. Lenin) began at 10:10 am, where about a thousand people gathered. Communist newspapers and leaflets were distributed to everyone who wanted them. Then all supporters of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation lined up in one column and walked along the central streets of Khabarovsk, accompanied by a brass band.

Representatives of A Just Russia were the last to announce the “May Day rally”. At one o'clock in the afternoon, supporters of the "Socialist Revolutionaries" gathered on the station square, next to the monument to Erofey Khabarov.

It should also be noted that in response to the official part, the city held a so-called “mostration” with the slogan “Let’s make the city stupider!” Khabarovsk informals once again marched through the city streets in response to the official procession in the morning, holding and waving provocative banners of their own production, RIA AmurPRESS reports with reference to the official page of the organizers. (see photo: http://vk.com/monstrxa2013 )

According to data from the Levada Center, cited by the publication, this year only 52% of the population is preparing for May Day (now officially called Spring and Labor Day). This is the lowest value over the last decade: a year ago there were 59% of those who wanted to celebrate May 1, in 2011 - 58%.

Public consciousness has changed a lot in recent decades, which also affects the holidays, Gennady Kozyrev, a professor at the Department of Political Sociology at the Russian State University for the Humanities, explained to the Kommersant newspaper. “A person who is engaged in simple daily work, does not quickly build a business and does not make a career, is considered a loser or, roughly speaking, a loser, that he plows here day and night, but there is no sense or enlightenment. Now this is a holiday, unfortunately , was devalued precisely by this attitude of the authorities and society itself towards the working man. We simply perceive it as an additional weekend on which we can relax in some way - maybe go to the dacha, to a barbecue, rather than, in fact, go to rallies and make a statement. about some kind of labor rights,” he said.

Despite the general cooling in society by May Day, the authorities are organizing various festive events and counting, especially in the provinces, on the fact that the people will show responsiveness, writes KM.RU

Unfortunately, May Day is looking more and more like a “May show” of officials and politicians for the people, and even for budget money...

How could it be otherwise in a society of “light” capitalism?!

(based on media materials)