May Day is an annual celebration of workers and labour industries.
For many it's a chance to recognise workers' rights and push for better working conditions.
May the 1st in part commemorates the 1886 Chicago Haymarket affair, where police in the United States killed four people when riots broke out at a protest for an eight-hour workday.
Public service and railway workers gathered in Paris’s Bastille Square to begin the traditional march this year.
58 year old public service worker Catherine Jouaux [[zhoo-OH]] says reform is needed to restore her faith in the French public sector.
"I'm here to stand up for our public services which belongs to all of us. I fear that the measures which are being taken today are not going the right way, I think that we can change things, reform is possible but it needs to be for the good of our public services but I'm not sure that's the case today."But May Day marches in Paris soon took a violent turn.
French riot police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse hundreds of protesters.
Hooded proetsters smashed shop windows and set fire to cars and buildings, including a McDonalds restaurant.
French police say they have arrested more than 200 anarchists that they say hijacked the demonstrations.
Clashes also broke out in Chile’s capital, Santiago, where tanks and riot police were called in to control rock- and stick-wielding activists.
In downtown Manhattan, New Yorkers made their way through Washington Square Park holding banners and calling for better working conditions.
Demonstrator Aru Apaza explains why she took part.
"I am out here to show solidarity with all the workers of the world, to keep on applying pressure and join with the country; that we're still resisting all over on May 1st."
Another demonstrator, Gabriel Morales, says he is marching to advocate for the rights of immigrant workers.
"May Day, May 1st we're supporting immigrant workers all across this country. And anybody who's out there, should come out and support us. We're walking, we're making sure that all workers all over the country support immigrant workers and we're the community; we're out here standing and we're letting it be known that New York City supports immigrant workers."
56 year old Holger Witzer joined thousands of workers protesting peacefully in Berlin.
He is calling for greater wage parity between German's elite and its poor.
"The growing gap between poor and rich, it is just not getting better despite the good economic development and of course this is more to do with distribution, it just has to become more even, in every sense."
Bolivian President Evo Morales announced a five per cent increase to Bolivia's minimum wage at a May Day trade union event.
According to the country's Confederation of Private Businesses, 40 per cent of Bolivian workers earn less than the minimum wage.
Professor Judit Flores says more needs to be done to ensure fair conditions for all workers.
"Our displeasure is total. Why is that? Because this increase does nothing. What does it do for us? I pay my rent. I keep my kids afloat. This isn't anywhere near enough. After my rent, my children's maintenance costs, I have nothing left. I wish Mr. Evo Morales would have to live on my salary, pay the rent, and look after his children."
And in Mexico, one town took a novel approach to May Day, opting to celebrate its 'hard-working' donkeys.
This Otumba resident explains the tradition.
"They deserve this and more because they are workers. We bring them here for them to have fun. They have fun and we have fun."
