May 1, 2020 - World

In photos: Protestors gather for International Workers' Day amid coronavirus pandemic

Orion Rummler

In this image, a wide field shows protestors socially distancing while standing — Demonstrators organized by the Portuguese General Confederation of Labor on May 1 in Lisbon, Portugal. Photo: Horacio Villalobos Corbis via Getty Images

Workers joined May Day protests across the globe on Friday, in the midst of nationwide lockdowns aimed at fighting the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Zoom in: In the U.S., employees at Amazon, Instacart, Target, Whole Foods and FedEx — many of whom are acting as "essential workers" and facing heightened risk from the virus — planned walk-outs on Friday to call for more personal protective gear and hazard pay.

In this photo, several signs read: "Capitalism kills workers rise-up" and "Worker deaths arrow Jeff's checks" — People protest working conditions outside of an Amazon warehouse fulfillment center on May 1 in Staten Island, N.Y. Photo: Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

In this image, a masked woman and a masked man are handled by police wearing armor — Riot police arrest demonstrators in Santiago, Chile, on May 1. Photo: Marcelo Hernandez/Aton Chile/AFP via Getty Images

In t his image, a large banner sign reads "solidarity beyond borders" — Demonstrators in Kreuzberg, Berlin, on May 1. Photo: Michael Kappeler/picture alliance via Getty Images

In this image, signs read: "Si pagamos la deuda externa no comemos" — Members of Argentina's Workers' Party march towards Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires on May 1. Photo: Juan Mabromata/AFP via Getty Images

In this image, people wearing masks walk through a street while carrying a large banner — Demonstrators in Athens, Greece, on May 1. Photo: Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images

In this image, a man wearing a face mask and hard hats stands in the middle of a square during a protest — Communist labor union P.A.M.E members demonstrate in Thessaloniki, Greece, on May 1. Photo: Achilleas Chiras/NurPhoto via Getty Images

In this image, a line of protestors stand socially distanced while wearing face masks — Protestors in Cologne, Germany, on May 1. Photo: Ying Tang/NurPhoto via Getty Images

In this image, writing on a car reads: "Mayday! Mayday! we need a just recovery" — Protestors remain in vehicles in a May 1 demonstration in Washington. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

In this image, two women stand outside, one holding a sign that reads" Alain Rends L'argent!" — Protestors call for the Swiss health minister to "give the money back" on May 1 in Lausanne, Switzerland. Photo: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images

In this image, police strike a man laying on the ground — Police push a demonstrator to the ground in Berlin, Germany, on May 1. Photo: Michael Kappeler/picture alliance via Getty Images

Go deeper: The coronavirus is inspiring a new labor movement