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May Day demonstrations expected to draw around two million people

In big cities the number of participants in May Day demonstrations is to range from 15,000 to 50,000

MOSCOW, April 25 (Itar-Tass) — Around two million people will take part in May Day demonstrations in Moscow, Chief of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions Mikhail Shmakov told a press conference.

"May Day in its basic sense as Day of international solidarity of the working people, established in memory of a demonstration of workers gunned down in Chicago in 1886, has not become obsolete for trade unions," Shmakov declared. The workers' demands voiced then such as an eight-hour working day, are as acute as they were back in the past. The two main demands now is to ensure inviolability of Labor Code to prevent easy dismissals of workers and give support to the initiatives of the All-Russia People's Front (ONF), Shmakov said.

Trade union demonstrations will be held all over Russia, Shmakov said. In big cities the number of participants in May Day demonstrations is to range from 15,000 to 50,000; in Moscow, a march numbering around 100,000 participants will be held. Between 9 and 10 am on May 1 participants will be lined up in a column and then will move up Teverskaya-Yamskaya and Tverskaya streets, pass the Manezh square and then walk along Mokhovaya street in the direction of Borovitskaya square, Shmakov said.

Representative of the United Russia party Andrei Isayev has a skeptical attitude to the so-called March of Millions the opposition was planning for May 6. "There will be no millions; the number of the opposition supporters is declining. Hence, a slogan the United Russia party is to proclaim on May Day is "Glamour advocates, go back to your clubs and make way to workers," Isayev said.

"No one will be coerced into participation in May Day demonstrations," both Shmakov and Isayev declared.

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