ROME, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Some 15,000 people gathered in Rome's Piazza San Giovanni Tuesday afternoon for the annual May Day Concert 2018, marking the International Workers' Day.
Beside being one of Italy's biggest musical events, the concert is also a great opportunity to raise public awareness on labor issues, with this year's main theme being "Safety as Labor's core", picked up by the labor unions amid an increase in workplace accidents in the country.
This edition featured both emergent and seasoned singers and bands from home and abroad, like famous Italian rocker Gianna Nannini, La Municipal, Ermal Meta, and Britain's musical heavyweight Fatboy Slim.
Aside from top artists, this edition of the so-called "Concertone" also featured top security measures, including metal detectors and turnstiles, due to enhanced security rules set for outdoor public events after Turin's stampede last year. For the same reason, local authorities limited the entries to a maximum of 30,000 people.
Authorities also imposed traffic deviations and a 36-hour ban on alcohol selling in view of the arrival of Liverpool FC soccer fans, here to support their team in Wednesday's Champions League semi-final second leg match against AS Roma.
"We came specifically for the concert, because people told us that it was really amazing, and it is," said Erminia, 23, who came all the way from Italy's southernmost Sicily.
Since 1990, the traditional concert is organised by CGIL, CISL and UIL, Italy's three main labour unions, every year in front of Rome's majestic Lateran Basilica on May Day, to celebrate the Italian labour union movement and the achievements it won for workers.
In the past editions, the event saw the participation of renowned artists from all over the world, among which former Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant, Oasis, Iron Maiden and Editors.
