MAY DAY is a unique day in the Marx Memorial Library & Workers’ School calendar because it is when we throw open our red doors to those assembling for the annual London workers’ day march to Trafalgar Square.  

We invite you this bank holiday Monday from 11am to come and discover our unique hub of learning, ideas, activism, education and history.

Our historic site at 37a Clerkenwell Green is embedded in the area’s extraordinary radical heritage. The Social Democratic Federation, whose members included Eleanor Marx and William Morris, was based at Marx House. The SDF publishing house Twentieth Century Press hosted Vladimir Lenin during his exile in 1902-03, when he edited Iskra.

We pay tribute to this history with our stunning Morris banner on display in our Main Hall which, this autumn, will be key exhibit at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. May 4 will also be the opportunity to visit Lenin’s office with copies of the revolutionary newspaper on display.

May Day is a day of international working-class solidarity and an annual reminder that the rights working people enjoy today were hard won, and that the struggle to defend and, critically, to improve them continues today.

The gathering point at Clerkenwell Green has been a focal point of protest and assembly hundreds of years: from welcoming early trade unionists the Tolpuddle Martyrs back from Australia to hosting crowds just outside the City of London rooted in earlier struggles including as the Peasants’ Revolt.

This year marks May Day rally marks the centenary of the 1926 General Strike, under the slogan “Workers Make History 1926-2026.” The General Strike holds a special place in the library’s history.

Robin Page Arnot, leading member of the Communist Party and founding member of the MML, was historian of the Miners’ Federation and active in the General Strike. His work helped shape our understanding of that moment of mass solidarity, when millions stood together in defence of the miners.

Our General Strike collections — photographs, newsletters, newspapers and pamphlets — have now been fully catalogued and made accessible with an online subject guide, opening up this vital chapter of working-class history to new generations of researchers, activists and trade unionists.

We have also launched a series of short educational films exploring the strike, the role of the Communist Party, and what lessons it holds for today.

May Day also marks the beginning of an exciting period for the library. Just five days later, on May 9, we will host a major symposium convened by Professor Mary Davis, bringing together historians, trade unionists and campaigners to explore the continuing relevance of the General Strike.

Our May Day Open Day is chance to build momentum towards that gathering and reflect on why 1926 still matters in 2026.

We are proud to be working closely with the May Day Organising Committee to make Clerkenwell Green a focal point of the May 4 activities. There will be a real sense of occasion: the Fire Brigades Union’s fire engine will be stationed on the green, helping to amplify our speakers and adding to the collective energy of the day.

We are delighted to welcome Kevin Courtney, chair of the Cuba Solidarity Campaign. This year, as we mark the centenary of the birth of revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, and at a time when the US blockade of Cuba remains especially severe, we are reminded of the urgent need for international solidarity.

We are equally pleased to welcome Sarah Woolley, general secretary of the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers’ Union, who will address the crowd before the march departs.

Alongside the speeches, visitors can expect refreshments, stalls, and the opportunity to explore highlights from our collections. From international solidarity movements to the history of British trade unionism, the library reflects a spirit of internationalism that runs through everything we do.

Founded in 1933 as a library and school for the working-class movement, the Marx Memorial Library is a leading centre for research and education in Marxism and socialist history.

Our open day will also provide a rare opportunity to explore the library itself, including its historic reading room, internationally significant collections, and its role as a hub for education, research and activism.

So we urge you: join the demonstration, bring your union banner, and visit the Marx Memorial Library & Workers’ School.

Meirian Jump is director of the Marx Memorial Library & Workers’ School, the leading research and education centre on Marxism and socialist history. For more information visit www.marx-memorial-library.org.uk.