
Left wing protesters unfurled banners of Joseph Stalin and called for 'class war' at a May Day rally addressed by Labour's Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell today.

Hundreds of activists took to the streets of central London for the annual demonstration, with some chanting the names of infamous communist leaders as they walked through the city.

Beneath communist hammer and sickle placards and a flag of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime in Trafalgar Square, Mr McDonnell, who wants to head the Treasury after the next election, read the crowd a message from Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

But when he posted a picture of his big speech on Twitter, he appeared to crop out the flags.

John McDonnell delivering a speech at Trafalgar Square in London under the flag of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime and another flag carrying the communist symbol of the hammer and sickle

When John McDonnell MP posted a picture of his speech on Twitter, the flags did not appear, leading many to accuse him of deliberately cropping them out

Activists brandishing hammer and sickle flags and waving red flares filed into Trafalgar Square today for a May Day rally. It is not known whether or not this man was arrested

Labour's Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell addressed demonstrators in Trafalgar Square after the march today

After Mr McDonnell's speech calling for 'solidarity', a Left wing activist told the rain-soaked crowd to 'keep clapping'

Among the marchers were some carrying banners with pictures of Jose[h Stalin, the communist dictator who killed millions during his time as leader of the USSR

Quoting his party leader, Mr McDonnell said: 'Workers together won rights to organise together and be represented. The policies we've announced on rights at work this week all have their origins in working class organisations and demands. United, we can win. Jeremy Corbyn.'

In his own speech, he vowed to make the June General Election 'the end of May' and to protect trade union rights if his party are elected.

The picture he uploaded with the caption Happy May Day 2017 drew a massive backlash on social media, with one user Gerry Marriott saying: 'Nice photocropping, Comrade...and you seriously want to be in government?'

Fellow Labour MP Neil Coyne said he believed he or his team had cut the photo deliberately after being criticised.

The member of parliament for Bermondsey and Old Southwark said: 'Assad apologists and other Communist airbrushers should have no part in the Labour Party.'

Mr McDonnell did not immediately respond to a request for comment by MailOnline.

Mr McDonnell ended his speech saying: 'This is our opportunity brothers and sisters. Some of us have worked for this for all our lives. The message is this: Carpe Diem. Seize the moment. This is our chance. Take it brothers and sisters. Solidarity.'

Another activist then took the microphone and told the crowd to 'keep clapping', before asking: 'Did we hear what we want to hear?'

Many of the crowds waved communist hammer and sickle flags. Others wore t-shirts with pictures of Stalin on them

While some proudly waved red flags above the head during the march, others held umbrellas to keep off the rain

Demonstrators carrying communist flags marched through Clerkenwell ahead of the rally in Trafalgar Square

Some of the crowd hid their faces behind red scarfs, sunglasses and hoods as they set off through central London

Members of the Communist Party of Great Britain were among the anarchist and Left wing groups involved

On a drizzly Bank Holiday Monday, the demonstrators were also addressed by Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the public sector union, the PCS.

The speeches came after crowds marking International Workers' Day marched down Clerkenwell Road, Theobald's Road and Aldwych on their way to Trafalgar Square.

Some chanted 'class against class!' as they walked through the city, and others shouted: 'Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin!'

The protesters joined activists around the world marking May Day with defiant rallies and marches for better pay and working conditions.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman told MailOnline one person had been arrested for an incident involving a flare, but that the protest was otherwise peaceful.

Police detained 70 people in Istanbul, businesses in Puerto Rico were boarded up and, in Paris, police fired tear gas and used clubs on rowdy protesters at a march that included calls to defeat far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen.

The march was made up of a mishmash of different groups protesting everything from political issues in Iran to war in Ukraine

Groups from international groups including the Kurdish PKK group joined demonstrators for the march this morning

This activist held a banner proclaiming: 'Corbyn can win with socialist policies' at the rally in central London today