THE streets of Parramatta will be running red on Saturday May 1 when the historic May Day March is held outside Sydney for the first time in its 100-plus year history.
The historic event is a traditional trade union rally and celebration of working-class struggle and pride. May Day marches are held throughout the world and were first held in Sydney in the early 1900s.
The Sydney march usually starts in Hyde Park and ends in the Domain, with various speakers entertaining the crowd.
Last year’s march was via Zoom due to Covid – and this year, tradition again will be broken with Parramatta being the setting.
And it is all because of the fight to save historic Willow Grove, the 1870’s Italianate villa set to be “relocated” to make way for the Powerhouse Parramatta.
The construction union, the CFMEU NSW, has declared a Green Ban on any demolition of Willow Grove, throwing its full support behind the community campaign to retain the building.
Bringing the May Day March to Parramatta is part of that campaign, CFMEU secretary Darren Greenfield said.
The decision has the full backing of Unions NSW, with the usual May Day contingent expected to raise their banners in Parramatta.
Mr Greenfield said that an exact route is yet to be announced, but the march will end at Willow Grove in Phillip St.
