May 1st traditionally marks the start of spring/autumn and is also International Workers Days. Since the days of Jubilee 2000 campaign it has also become associated with, er, vibrant protests. In Britain Mayday 2012 is the first to fall on a working day in several years and the first since August 2011's spectacular riots. It also comes against a backdrop of economic austerity, rising unemployment and a full scale assault on almost 70 years of social policy including the much cherished National Health Service (NHS).
So if protest organisers can gather 8000+ people in a central London location such as Oxford Circus, Parliament Square or the City of London it could lead to scenes like those seen during the student protests of November/December 2010. If fewer the 8000 people turn up it could lead to scenes like the anti-G20 protests of April 2009 or just a couple of hundred people getting arrested.
Either way I'm sure the state will find a way to co-opt the protests into the preparations for the 2012 Olympics.
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