# Echoes of the 1st of May in Hrodna

- URL: https://syn.by/en/history/archives/echoes-of-the-1st-of-may-in-hrodna/
- Published: 1924-05-18T19:45:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-22T14:41:35+00:00
- Section: Archives
- Language: en
- BE edition: https://syn.by/historya/arkhivy/vodhuki-1-ha-maja-u-horadni.md
- RU edition: https://syn.by/ru/istoriya/arhivy/otkliki-1-maya-v-grodno.md

> Hrodna workers went out on a May Day march with 21 red banners. Simon Rak-Mikhailouski, member of the Sejm, greeted them on behalf of the Belarusian socialists, while the police charged at the demonstrators with bayonets and made arrests.

![](https://syn.by/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/illustration-629-1024x585.webp)

The May holiday began very solemnly. The workers' march carried 21 red banners of the class trade unions. Throughout the march there were repeated clashes between the demonstrators and the police.

The speakers were: Mazurkevich, chairman of the Council of Trade Unions; a certain representative of the press, who provoked indignation by his praise of Piłsudski; then the Belarusian member of the Sejm Simon Rak-Mikhailouski, who greeted those assembled on behalf of the socialist members of the Sejm of the Belarusian Deputies' Club and was warmly welcomed by the Hrodna workers. During the speech of the fourth speaker, Hrabouski, a representative of the woodworkers' union, the police dispersed the meeting.

From Brygidzka Street a detachment of police rushed out against the demonstrators with bayonets fixed on their rifles, as if in an attack.

There were arrests as well. Arrested were two workers of the consumers' union, one woodworker (Michał Siemientkowski), one woman worker from the Sherashevsky factory, and one unknown person.