During the celebration of Labor Day on May 1 in Fælledparken in Copenhagen, Anders Lund Madsen, who was the event’s host, was subjected to a harsh accusation by a protester. In the midst of the event, where he was introducing speakers on occupational health and work-life balance, he was suddenly accused of supporting genocide. A woman pushed her way to the front of the stage and shouted directly at Lund Madsen: “You support genocide!” followed by repeated shouts of “Fuck you!”. This happened shortly after Minister of Justice Peter Hummelgaard had spoken on behalf of the Social Democratic Party and was drowned out by a group of demonstrators expressing their dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of the conflict in Gaza.
Anders Lund Madsen described the situation as “absurd” and “toxic,” emphasizing that it was a mistake for him to become the target of the demonstrators’ anger. He explained that he found it difficult to see how a discussion about occupational health could be interpreted as support for genocide. “There is a lot of anger, strong emotions, and it can go in all directions,” he said. Lund Madsen did not take the incident personally and laughed off the question of whether he supported genocide. He pointed out that he had not publicly expressed his views on international conflicts such as those in South Sudan, Yemen, or Gaza, and he did not want to contribute to further polarization of the debate.
The incident highlights the strong emotions and political tension that can arise during public events such as May 1 celebrations, especially when international conflicts cast long shadows over local events. It was a reminder that political leaders and public figures can often become targets of public anger, regardless of the context of their appearance.