Unseasonably cold weather and snow flurries didn’t stop hundreds of parade participants from marking the beginning of May by marching in the annual May Day parade. Dressed in colorful costumes, many formed of paper mache, the participants marched through sections of Minneapolis spreading a message of peace, freedom of expression and social justice. The first part of the parade contained many large floats and puppets. These puppets are inspired by many cultures of the world and are meant to “translate complex issues of mind and society into images that breathe with soul and spirit.” The costume-wearing puppeteers danced through the streets entertaining 1000s of spectators that lined the parade route for a glimpse of the artistry and joy that surround this event.

The May Day parade is one of my favorite festivals of the year so I arrived early to watch the artists prepare for the occasion. Of course, the real preparation was months in the making as hundreds of volunteers met to fabricate the puppets and floats. Much of this activity occurred at the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre on Lake Street. I went to the theater one weekend afternoon and saw young people painting the names of thousands of victims of the Iraq war onto cloth banners that I also saw in the parade. I heard an organizer comment as she lined up for the parade that if the names had been painted in the large-sized letters that they had painted initially, the display of banners would have been seven miles long.

The parade began this year, as it did last year, with about 50 cyclists riding ahead of the formal participants on their homemade bicycles. These bikes are an amalgamation of old single-speed and three-speed bicycles that have been welded together to produce circus-style bikes with high seats. These cyclists, dressed mostly in black, are a sight to see riding down the street in their contraptions.

After the cyclists had passed, I lined up for the main event. The puppeteers danced by and each group conveyed a different message. The puppeteers were followed by what is known as the “free-speech zone”, a group of disparate groups that brought up the rear of the parade. The free-speech zone included peace groups (e.g., Veterans for Peace, Dept of Peace advocates, Women Against Military Madness, and Women in Black), politicians, atheists, and religious groups. I captured some photographs of this part of parade and I am sharing some of those photos that convey a social message with you here at Indy Media.

I didn’t see any corporate media coverage of this event, but I’m not surprised. I suppose they have a lot of excuses for not covering this parade. For instance, May Day is thought of as a Communist event, but that’s not true. May Day is a celebration for workers. It’s a formal holiday that’s recognized in nearly every country but the United States. Many would be surprised to learn that the events that engendered this holiday occurred in Chicago in the 1886. Workers who were striking and rallying for an eight-hour work day were met by police. A fight broke out and deaths occurred on both sides. Several labor leaders were arrested and some were executed based on trumped-up evidence. Six Hundred thousand workers turned out for the funerals of the executed labor leaders. The workers were successful in their demands and through their efforts, the formal workday became eight hours. That’s what May Day and the parade is all about.

I’m sure the corporate media know the history behind May Day and were just too busy. There was a lot happening on May Day besides the parade. There were breaking stories about what MIGHT happen next in the Michael Jackson trial, the first lady’s comedy debut, and the story about the “bride with cold feet.” I’m sure, too, the corporate media would have been there if the message had not been so wholesome – messages such as healthcare access for all, global peace, and environmental concerns go against the interests of large corporations, the owners of media outlets and their advertisers. Maybe that’s why the back of one of the parade participants had a label that said "place corporate logo here" rather than sporting an actual corporate logo. Enough said.



www.heartofthebeasttheatre.org/mayday/index.html