1937 — May 30, Unarmed striking Republic Steel workers shot by police, Chicago IL– 10

— 10 Chicago Historical Society. Encyclopedia of Chicago, “Memorial Day Massacre”
— 10 Duwe, Grant. Mass Murder in the United States: A History. McFarland, 2007, p. 40.
— 10 Gilje. Rioting in America. 1999, p. 148.
— 10 Illinois Labor History Society. “Memorial Day Massacre.” 2010.
— 10 Northeastern Illinois University. East Side Industry. “Memorial Day Massacre.”
— 10 Wikipedia. “Memorial Day massacre of 1937.” 2-2-2013 modification.

Narrative Information

Chicago Historical Society: “On May 30, 1937, striking Republic Steel workers and sympathizers attempted to establish a picket line at the front of the mill on Chicago’s Southeast Side. The protesting marchers, including families from the surrounding community, halted when met by a line of Chicago police officers in a field north of the mill gate. Following a short standoff, violence erupted; 10 protesters died and approximately 90 were injured while retreating from police clubs, tear gas, and bullets. The episode stands as one of the most violent in the history of U.S. labor organization.” (Chicago Historical Society. Encyclopedia of Chicago, “Memorial Day Massacre.”)

Gilje: “….In the Memorial Day massacre of 1937 Chicago policed fired point blank into the crowd of pickets approaching a Republic Steel plant, and brutally clubbed individuals who fell. Ten died and scores were wounded. So outrageous was the police behavior that a newsreel that captured the atrocities was banned as too provocative until after a congressional investigation compelled its release.”

“Illinois Labor History Society: “Ten demonstrators were killed by police bullets during the “Little Steel Strike” of 1937. When several smaller steelmakers, including Republic Steel, refused to follow the lead of U.S. Steel (Big Steel) by signing a union contract, a strike was called by the Steel Workers Organizing Committee (SWOC) of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO).

“As a show of support, hundreds of SWOC sympathizers from all around Chicago gathered on Memorial Day at Sam’s Place, where the SWOC had its strike headquarters. After a round of speeches, the crowd began a march across the prairie and toward the Republic Steel mill. They were stopped midway by a formation of Chicago police. While demonstrators in front were arguing for their right to proceed, police fired into the crowd and pursued the people as they fled. Mollie West, a Typographical Union Local 16 member and a youthful demonstrator at the time, still recalls the command addressed to her: “Get off the field, or I’ll put a bullet in your back.”…”
(Illinois Labor History Society. “Memorial Day Massacre.” 2010.)

Northeastern Illinois University: “The Memorial Day Massacre of 1937 took the lives of 10 steel workers and injured 105. The Steel Workers Organizing Committee (SWOC) organized a peaceful protest that was to take place on Memorial Day in 1937. The SWOC was attempting to organize the steel workers into an industrial union. When the company refused to recognize the union the workers went out on strike. The workers were striking against Republic Steel, part of the group of steel companies known as “Little Steel”, who did not want to grant them union recognition. The workers met at Sam’s Club on 112th and Green Bay Avenue and decided to picket in front of the Republic steel main gate. When the group arrived at 116th Street, a line of police officers, about 300 ft. wide, met them. The workers tried to talk to the police about letting them picket in front of the main gate. What happened next is unknown, but the police opened fire on the crowd. Gas bombs and shots were fired at the crowd. As the police move forward at the crowd, they began to club and beat them to the ground. They then started to arrest people and throw them into patrol wagons. Some were seriously wounded. When the day ended, 4 people were killed, 6 would later die in the hospital, and 30 suffered gunshot wounds.” (Northeastern Illinois University. East Side Industry. “Memorial Day Massacre.”)

Sources

Chicago Historical Society. “Memorial Day Massacre.” Encyclopedia of Chicago. Accessed 12-26-2008 at: http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/810.html

Duwe, Grant. Mass Murder in the United States: A History. McFarland, 2007.

Gilje, Paul A. Rioting in America. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1999

Illinois Labor History Society. “Memorial Day Massacre.” 2010. Accessed 3-1-2013 at: http://www.illinoislaborhistory.org/memorial-day-massacre.html

Northeastern Illinois University. East Side Industry. “Memorial Day Massacre.” Accessed 3-1-2013 at: http://www.neiu.edu/~reseller/esstmemdaymass.html

Wikipedia. “Memorial Day massacre of 1937.” 2-2-2013 modification. Accessed 3-1-2013 at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Day_massacre_of_1937