Haymarket Riots - The Origin Of International Labour Day

The Labour Demonstration Demanding 8 Hours Working Time In A Day

In April 1886, hundreds of thousands of workers in the US who is determined to stop the domination of the bourgeois class, join a labor organization Knights of Labour. Find momentum in Chicago, one of the biggest and the central labour union organization in US. The labour union organization movement in the city is highly influenced by the ideas of International Workingsmen Association. The movement has been agitation and propaganda endlessly before May to realize the demands of the "Eight Hours a Day".

On 1 May , 50,000 workers had been on the road. Around 30,000 workers joined them later. The workers took to the streets with the kids and wife to shout demands universal 'Eight Hours a Day.' This demonstration brought industrial activity in Chicago paralyzed and make the bourgeoisie class panic. On 1 May , 1886 (then known as May Day), when it was 350,000 workers, organized by the American Federation of Labor strike in many places in the United States.

Two days later, 3 May , the government sent policemen to end the protest by workers at the McCormick factory. Police indiscriminately fired on labour, at the time of this incident, there are four people were killed and far more wounded. This led to anger among the workers, some suggested that they will take action by taking up arms. Some anarchists led by Albert Parsons and August Spies, also an active member of the Knights of Labour, called on the working class in order to arm themselves and to participate in the demonstrations tomorrow.

Haymarket Field Incident

Demonstrations on the following day, May 4, 1886, is located in Haymarket field, the workers held a protest action at a larger scale, this action is also intended as a protest against the crackdown by the police to the workers.

At the beginning, this action runs peacefully. Due to bad weather many demonstrators dispersed and left the crowd around hundreds of people. At that time, 180 police arrived and ordered the demonstration to be dissolved. When the last speaker was about to descend from the tribune, following the police warning, a bomb exploded at a police line . One person was killed and injuring 70 of them. Police responding to the bomb blast by firing into crowds of workers are left, so that 200 people were injured and many were killed.

Death penalty

Although it is not clear who is throwing the bombs, mass media and bourgeois politicians began hurling accusations that the explosion was the act of socialists and anarchists. Every socialist and anarchist leaders were arrested. Even individuals who do not understand what socialism and anarchism were arrested and tortured. Julius Grinnell, the city public prosecutor, told the police 'to take arrest first and then consider the violations of the law'. Eight anarchist leaders, charged with murder. They are the August Spies, Albert Parsons, Adolph Fischer, George Engel, Samuel Fielden, Michael Schwab, Louis Lingg and Oscar Neebe.

Judicial process to eight anarchist leaders is one of the worst history of the US judiciary because it is influenced by the bourgeoisie. On June 21, 1886, without any strong evidence, they get the death penalty. On 11 November 1887, Albert Parsons, August Spies, Adolf Fischer, and George Engel were hanged. Louise Lingg hanged himself in prison.

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Reference :
8 Famous anarchist on history
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Parsons
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_Spies
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolph_Fischer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Engel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Fielden
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Schwab
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Lingg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Neebe

Haymarket incident
http://www.history.com/topics/haymarket-riot

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