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May Day demonstrations in Switzerland have long reflected the country's social and political change. In their early years, they were primarily an expression of the traditional labour movement: marches were orderly, participants often appeared in suits and hats, and the focus was on social demands such as shorter working hours, improved holiday entitlements and greater protection for workers. From the 1960s, and even more so in the 1970s, the character of May Day changed markedly. With the youth movement, the stronger presence of women and the emergence of new political groups, the culture of demonstration became more diverse and more vibrant. May Day increasingly became an expression of fundamental alternative visions of society. In the 1980s, the cultural conflicts surrounding youth centres, alternative lifestyles and new spaces of freedom also shaped May Day and gave it a more confrontational tone. At the same time, the range of issues expanded: alongside labour and social policy concerns, topics such as tenants' rights, women's rights, youth culture, minority protection, redistribution and criticism of banks, corporations and military funding came to the fore. International issues also influenced the demonstrations, including the Vietnam War, fascism in Spain and Greece and the apartheid regime. May Day in Switzerland thus evolved from a ritualised workers' rally into a broad form of political expression in the public sphere. Despite all changes, tensions and at times controversial unrest, May Day remains to this day a significant political holiday of labour. (luk)