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Hundreds turned out for a May Day rally at Clerkenwell Green on Sunday, when Jeremy Corbyn became the first Labour leader to address the event in 50 years.

Speaking from an open-top bus, the Islington North MP told the crowd: “This is the day when we understand and celebrate the power of ordinary people to change things. It’s a celebration of peace and justice.

“We stand in solidarity against the growth of the far right across Europe who are more interested in blaming migrant workers, blaming victims of war who are refugees than facing up to the reality that we are all human beings living on one planet and that you solve problems by human rights, humanity, justice and respect, not by blaming minorities.

“And so we stand absolutely against anti-Semitism in any form. We stand absolutely against racism in any form. We stand united as a Labour movement, recognising our faith diversity, our ethnic diversity. And from that diversity comes our strength.”

Cuban ambassador Teresita Vicente Sotolongo donated a framed portrait of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro to the Marx Memorial Library to mark “the contribution of Fidel to Marxism in Latin America”. She said: “The boycott [United States embargo against Cuba] is in full effect. Don’t think that because [US President] Obama visited Cuba it’s over. It’s not.”

London’s first May Day rally in 1890, organised by the London Trades Council, began at the Green.

Mick Gilgunn, secretary of Islington Trades Union Council, said: “May Day is a great occasion for celebrating all we’ve gained through trade union rights and the welfare state.”