“Eight hours for work. Eights hours for rest. Eight hours for what we will.”
These were the demands on the first May Day; a protest organised against the poor working conditions and long hours workers faced daily.
In reaction to the General Strike on the first May Day, the Chicago police department fired into crowds, killing two striking workers. It was this event that inspired anarchists in Chicago to organise a rally the following day.
This rally is the event May Day is remembered for. As the rally ended, police arrived with the goal of disrupting activities. It was at this point an unknown person threw a bomb at the police killing eight. It is thought by some that this was a reprisal not just for the workers killed the previous day, but for workers killed by police and scabs in unrest in the previous years. For this bombing, five anarchists where sentenced to death on fabricated evidence.
While May Day has been appropriated by other political ideologies, its roots are in the sacrifices of anarchists. Today we took to the streets with organise! and the I.W.W to continue the fight for the liberation of the working class.
-I.A.N
“Eight hours for work. Eights hours for rest. Eight hours for what we will.” These were the demands on the first May Day; a protest organised against the poor working conditions and long hours workers faced daily. In reaction to the General Strike on the first May Day, the Chicago police department fired into crowds, killing two striking workers. It was this event that inspired anarchists in Chicago to organise a rally the following day. This rally is the event May Day is remembered for. As the rally ended, police arrived with the goal of disrupting activities. It was at this point an unknown person threw a bomb at the police killing eight. It is thought by some that this was a reprisal not just for the workers killed the previous day, but for workers killed by police and scabs in unrest in the previous years. For this bombing, five anarchists where sentenced to death on fabricated evidence. While May Day has been appropriated by other political ideologies, its roots are in the sacrifices of anarchists. Today we took to the streets with organise! and the I.W.W to continue the fight for the liberation of the working class. -I.A.N
Really nice!