Across the world on May 1, workers, labour unions, and leftist demonstrators marched through major cities in recognition of International Workers' Day, commonly known as May Day.
In France, police fired tear gas to push back black-clad anarchists who ransacked businesses in Paris, where May Day protests were largely focused against the policies of newly re-elected President Emmanuel Macron.
Thousands of people joined May Day marches across France, calling for salary increases and for Mr Macron to drop his plan to raise the retirement age from 62 to 65.
Most demonstrations were peaceful but violence broke out in the capital, where police arrested 45 people, including a woman who attacked a fireman trying to put out a fire, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told a news conference.
Eight police officers were injured, Mr Darmanin added.
"Black Bloc" anarchists ransacked a McDonald's restaurant on the Place Leon Blum and trashed several real estate agencies, breaking their windows and setting garbage bins on fire.
Police responded by firing tear gas.
About 250 rallies were organised in Paris and other cities including Lille, Nantes, Toulouse and Marseille.
Counter demonstrations in Brazil
In Sao Paulo, Brazil, crowds gathered to hear union leaders as well as the former president, and likely presidential candidate, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Activists waved flags and held banners celebrating unions and socialists' parties, dancing to music and applauding the speeches of leftist leaders exhorting supporters to vote in the upcoming elections against conservative President Jair Bolsonaro.
In Rio de Janeiro, pro-Bolsonaro supporters rallied at the same time, denouncing the left as "a danger to the country."
Those counter-rallies demanded changes to the country's electronic voting system to "protect the integrity" of the vote, echoing a charge made by Mr Bolsonaro, without any proof the vote could be marred without the use of paper ballots.
The competing rallies reflected deep political divisions within the country and indicated that the upcoming elections may be hard fought, with risk of a political crisis if either side rejects the final results.
Economic frustration in Haiti
Haiti and Colombia held marches to honour workers.
In Haiti, hundreds of workers took to the streets with hand-written posters and banners to bring attention to the low wages.
With Haiti being among the poorest countries in the world and with unemployment projected to trend around 14.6 per cent in 2022, according to the world bank, workers have little to celebrate.
Industry workers carried signs demanding a wage increase.
They are demanding a minimum wage of 1,500 gourdes ($21) a day.
The average wage is currently 500 gourdes ($7) a day for nine hours of work.
Thousands of Haitians have left the country over the past two years in perilous journeys by land and sea to look for a better life elsewhere.
Adding to the political instability following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July of last year, the UN says more than 16,000 people in Haiti have lost their homes since mid-2021 as a result of gang violence.
In Colombia, union groups and locals marched through the streets of the capital.
Among the banners were also those calling for Russia to leave Ukraine.
Athens marches focus on cost of living
In Athens, metro trains ground to a halt and ships were docked in ports as thousands of workers joined May Day rallies in the Greek capital to protest against soaring energy and food costs.
Gas and power bills have surged, with price rises exacerbated by sanctions against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, taking inflation in Greece to multi-year highs.
Police estimate that some 10,000 people marched in central Athens and gathered outside the Greek parliament over the rising cost of living.
"It is very tough, and every day it gets tougher for workers. We will fight it, because the working class cannot survive any more," said Katerina Dekaristou, a teacher, standing outside the parliament.
Greece emerged from a decade of financial crisis in 2018, only for the pandemic to bring global travel to a halt two years later, hurting the tourism industry on which its economy relies.
ABC/Wires
