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Haymarket Affair

HaymarketRiot-Harpers.jpg

Violent confrontation between Chicago police, anarchists, laborers, and labor activists on May 4, 1886 at which 19 people died and over 60 were wounded. Began with a rally from 7:30PM-about 10:30PM. At that point, numerous police officers arrived and ordered the crowds to disperse. A bomb was thrown into the police and killed several officers creating chaos. No one is quite sure who actually threw the bomb, but Louis Lingg, a was accused of constructing it in the aftermath Differing sources report different specific events, but violence erupted and police began emptying their revolvers into the crowd of mixed protester and police, killing and wounding laborers and police alike. The aftermath led to the trial of 8 and execution of 4 anarchists and labor activists and divided public opinion on the fairness of the trial and the acceptance of labor unions. The labor activists executed on November 11, 1887 were August Spies, Albert Parsons, and Samuel Fielden who were arrested for speaking at the rally. Adolph Fischer was executed but only attended the event. Louis Lingg, the alleged bomb-maker, was sentenced to death but committed suicide before his execution.

Haymarket Affair