The beginning of summer, time for loved ones, demonstrations, and free parties across the city for many Berliners, May 1st is one of the most anticipated days of the year.
Originally rooted in remembrance and working-class resistance, the day has historically carried the weight of struggle: for fair labour conditions, dignity, and social justice. Today, demonstrations often take many forms from traditional marches to gatherings, raves, and collective celebrations in public space.
It is easy to assume that this shift signals a loss of meaning, replaced by hedonistic pleasure. But perhaps the reality is more complex.
We know, we’re a little late, still recovering from the festivities of last week. With the abundance of time on our hands and the sheer endless possibilities Berlin offers on May 1st, the holiday can feel like one of the longest days of the year – in a good way. Suddenly an early morning feels worth it, if it means time spent with loved ones, getting ready for a day of demos, sun and dancing. As we’re slowly returning to the realities of a life that happens before and after a 9 to 5, we’re reminded that the fight for social equality continues far beyond May 1st.
When labour movements first took to the streets of Berlin in 1890, their demands were clear: an eight-hour workday, safer working conditions, political participation, and social equality. Known as Arbeiterkampftag, this day has remained a symbol of resistance across generations, echoed in countless demonstrations throughout the city.
While many of these traditional forms of protest continue today, new forms of gathering have emerged alongside them. What may appear as a departure from political meaning can also be understood as an expansion of what resistance looks like and where it takes place.
What are we fighting for?
Many issues, the Arbeiterkampftag originally stood for, are still present in today’s protests. Though the 8 hour work day has long been implemented, politics and employers still have ways to go in terms of social justice and working conditions. While these demands deserve their spotlight, a more subtle but insidious symptom of capitalism often remains overlooked: loneliness.
A system that prioritizes profit and productivity over people thrives on alienation: The loneliness epidemic of the recent years is a direct result of continued isolation – from each other, from our labour and from a sense of collective belonging. A sense that we’re desperate to regain. As demands from traditional protests take a while to implement we have to look for additional forms of resistance.
Community and creative expression as political acts
Although many of the parties taking place on May 1st may lack political purpose, people coming together to connect and express themselves without the need to produce is an act of resistance in itself. Under oppressive conditions community challenges the very foundation of the system. It says: we do not exist to produce; we exist to relate, to support, and to resist together. Creative expression plays a pivotal role in this process: Through shared space, storytelling and collaboration art not only builds community, it also exposes injustice and tells marginalized stories.
How do we protest in everyday life?
As politics and employers remain slow to respond, responsibility falls on us to build infrastructures of care: Refuges and platforms, that encourage to truly connect, creatively express ourselves and envision alternatives to our current conditions.
Aware of this responsibility, we strive to make our space at No.52 more than just a studio — but a community through our workshops and events, we aim to create a welcoming, low-barrier environment where people from all backgrounds can come together, connect meaningfully, and explore their creative voice without pressure or pretense. We prioritize accessibility for different income groups and actively work to amplify marginalized perspectives because we believe that joy, care, and collective expression are not luxuries, but necessities.
So, should the party stop?
Not if it continues to build solidarity. Not if it reminds us why we gather. Not if it fuels the long fight with beats, banners, and belonging.