The Palestinian intifada dominated May Day celebrations today in the Arab world, while Iranian workers took to the streets in anger over poor living and working conditions.
In Syria, thousands of workers and officials marched through Damascus in support of the 19-month Palestinian intifada.
Accompanying them were Prime Minister Mr Mohammed Mostafa Miro and parliament speaker Mr Abdelkader Kaddura who could be seen wearing traditional black and white Palestinian scarves.
Mr Ezzedin Nasser, head of the state trade union that organized the march, gave a speech calling for a boycott of US goods and a break in all Arab relations with Israel.
In Jordan, where at least half of the country's five-million citizens are of Palestinian origin, King Abdullah II expressed his kingdom's solidarity with the Palestinians' fight to end Israeli occupation.
"In the name of Jordan's workers, I pay tribute to Palestinian workers who continue to devote themselves to work in the most difficult conditions, in spite of their suffering under the occupation," King Abdullah said in his May Day speech.
Egyptian President Mr Hosni Mubarak's May Day speech, delivered yesterday in Cairo, accused Washington of not doing enough to rein in Israel and allowing it to launch its violent offensive in the Palestinian autonomous territories on March 29th.
Mr Mubarak also accused Arab satellite news channels, of "provoking discord and hatred" between Arab countries, a reference to broadcasts that have criticized Arab governments for not doing enough to help the Palestinians. In Iran, hearts were on issues closer to home with some 5,000 Iranian workers taking to the streets of Tehran on May Day to protest against rising inflation and low salaries.
The demonstrators, who included some 100 women, chanted "forget Palestine and think about us instead" and demanded pay raises and an end to temporary jobs. They gathered at Razi square after a two-kilometer (1.6 mile) march, and dispersed around 11 a.m.
Among the demonstrators were clothing factory employees, who said they had not been paid in 14 months. AFP