In Pictures: Workers of the world mark May Day amid Covid-19 lockdown

The pandemic put curbs on the usual Labour Day mass gatherings, with face masks and social distancing much in evidence.

The pandemic has muted the marking of May Day, with celebrations of the world’s workers having to be balanced by safety considerations.

Social distancing was in evidence at many of the events although in some countries the stringent lockdown measures presented different challenges for protesters and police alike.

Arrests were made in Turkey, while the Guy Fawkes masks favoured at previous demonstrations had been superseded by medical masks in light of the threat to public health.

Virus Outbreak Portugal May Day — Workers Unions keep a safe distance from each other and wear face masks to help protect against the spread of coronavirus during an event marking May Day in Lisbon, Portugal (Armando Franca/AP)

Virus Outbreak Switzerland — People play instruments on their balconies on Labour Day, in Zurich, Switzerland (Alexandra Wey/AP)

Virus Outbreak France May Day — A protester holds the traditional Lily of the Valley flower during a banned May Day gathering in Marseille, southern France (Daniel Cole/PA)

Virus Outbreak Hong Kong May Day — Riot police stand guard as pro-democracy activists gather outside a shopping centre during Labour Day in Hong Kong (Kin Cheung/AP)

Virus Outbreak Turkey May Day — Turkish police officers walk on carnations left by demonstrators during May Day protests in Istanbul (Emrah Gurel/AP)

Virus Outbreak May Day Photo Gallery — A woman claps from her home’s balcony in celebration of May Day, or International Workers’ Day, in Havana, Cuba (Ismael Francisco/AP)

Virus Outbreak South Korea May Day Rally — Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions make their point (Lee Jin-man/AP)

Virus Outbreak Germany May Day — A banner with the inscription ‘Solidarisch ist man nicht allein!’ (‘One is not alone in solidarity’) is placed in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin ahead of a May Day rally (Christoph Soeder/AP)

Virus Outbreak May Day Garment Industry — Indonesian women sit among mannequins at the closed Tanah Abang textile market on a quiet Labour Day (Tatan Syuflana/AP)

People protest during a May Day demonstration, in Paris (Thibault Camus/AP) — People protest during a May Day demonstration in Paris (Thibault Camus/AP)

Virus Outbreak Lebanon May Day — Army soldiers scuffle with anti-government protesters during May Day protests near the Lebanese Central Bank in Beirut (Hassan Ammar/AP)