As a longstanding international holiday, May Day is a day to celebrate the collective power of all who labor – paid and unpaid, formal and informal, in care work and field work – all of the activities that sustain us and our community. It’s a day to recommit to forging solidarity across borders against exploitation and dispossession. Above all, May Day honours the power of ordinary people, working together, to shape the conditions of our lives.
Things are getting harder. People are struggling to get by, the rich are getting richer, the ecological crisis is intensifying, Palestine is enduring unspeakable horrors, authoritarianism is growing more ascendant globally, and ruling officials are offering us little more than flag-waving and immigrant-blaming. In these circumstances, it’s all the more crucial to remember that collective struggle from below is a source of joy and the way that we win.
So, this year, we in Punch Up Collective are resuscitating the tradition of the Ottawa May Day march and we invite you to join us!
March Details
- Date: Thursday, May 1st, 2025
- Start location: Confederation Park (Elgin St @ Laurier Ave)
- Time: 5:00pm – 7:00pm
March Route and Points of Interest
The specific march route is currently being determined, but will include several stops at points of interest along the way.
If you or your organization has a suggestion for a location that the march might want to stop at, please contact us. We’re particularly looking for stops that highlight local struggles, or link local issues to the wider fight for a better world.
Contingents
Participating organizations and individuals are encouraged to organize contingents for the march. Your banners, flags, signs, and matching onesies are welcome! A bike bloc? A stroller squad? A marching band? All are welcome!
Permits, Police, and Safety
Our goal is to organize and host a march that is as welcoming and accessible as possible to everyone, including kids, families, people pushing strollers, people with mobility challenges, animal companions, and anyone else committed to building a better, more equitable world for all. We’ll move at a pace workable for everyone there, making sure that the front of the march isn’t racing ahead and leaving the back trailing.
The march will have marshals, who will be there to assist march participants and help ensure our collective safety throughout the event.
However, the march will not be coordinated with police or security agencies in advance, and will not have a permit. There is no legal requirement to secure a permit to hold a protest or march. In our view, doing so would only further entrench the harmful idea that police are allowed to determine when, where, and how we organize and come together.
List of Endorsements (so far …)
- Autistic and Neurodivergent Liberation Front of Ottawa
- Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union Local 225
- Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 4600
- Carleton Climate Commons
- City for All Women Initiative
- Climate Justice Ottawa
- Coalition Against More Surveillance
- Criminalization & Punishment Education Project
- Education for Liberation Collective
- Free Transit Ottawa
- Horizon Ottawa
- Labour4Palestine
- Ottawa Abortion Doula Collective
- Public Service Alliance of Canada – National Capital Region
- Punch Up Collective
- Rosa Luxemburg Club – Communist Party of Canada
If there is an organization you feel might like to take part and/or endorse the march, please share the details and have them get in touch with us at punchup@riseup.net.
More information
If you have questions or require more information, please contact us at punchup@riseup.net.
We look forward to seeing you on May 1st!