http://struggle.ws/about/mayday.html
Historical summary In 1887 four Chicago anarchists were executed. A fifth cheated the hangman by killing himself in prison. Three more were to spend 6 years in prison until pardoned by Governor Altgeld who said the trial that convicted them was characterised by "hysteria, packed juries and a biased judge". The state had, in the words of the prosecution put "Anarchy .. on trial" and hoped their deaths would also be the death of the anarchist idea.
The anarchists were trade union organisers and May Day became an international workers day to remember their sacrifice. They were framed on false charges of throwing a bomb at police breaking up a demonstration in Chicago. This was part of a strike demanding an 8 hour day involving 400,000 workers in Chicago that started May 1st 1886 .
The anarchist idea did not die in Chicago in 1887. Today it inspires a new wave of struggle against global capitalism. Join in this struggle.
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We have just added two PDF files to the struggle site that you can print out and display/distribute about the anarchist origins of May Day and the struggles of anarchists today. One is a poster using pictures of the Haymarket anarchists and of some of the large anarchist demonstrations over the last year. The other is a two page pamphlet about the anarchist origins of May Day. We strongly encourage you to download these and distribute them at May Day and related events.
Read the text and see the posters at http://struggle.ws/about/mayday.html
The poster is at http://struggle.ws/wsm/pdf/poster/mayday_post.html
The leaflet is at http://struggle.ws/wsm/pdf/leaf/pdf_mayday.html
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