The Chinese Massacre of 1871 was a race riot that occurred on this day in Los Angeles, California when a mob of around 500 white and mestizo people entered Chinatown and attacked, robbed, and murdered Chinese residents.
The massacre took place on Calle de los Negros, also known as "Negro Alley". The mob gathered after hearing that a policeman had been shot and a rancher killed by Chinese immigrants. Historian John Johnson described the ensuing violence as the "largest mass lynching in American history".
An estimated 17 to 20 Chinese immigrants were hanged by the mob in the course of the riot, but most had already been shot to death. At least one was mutilated when someone cut off a finger to get his diamond ring.
Ten members of the mob were prosecuted, eight were convicted of manslaughter. The convictions were overturned on appeal due to various technicalities.
Image: "VIÐ ERUM MARGAR": WE ARE MANY The largest mass demonstration in Icelandic history: More than 10% of the total population of Iceland participated in the women's rally in downtown Reykjavík. Photo by Ólafur K Magnússon
On this day in 1975, approximately 90% of Icelandic women struck for equality, not attending jobs or doing any domestic work. Iceland passed an equal pay law the following year, but the strike has been repeated on its anniversary several times since, such as in the years 2005, 2010, and 2016.
The strike was planned by "The Women's Congress", which had met on June 20th and 21st earlier that year. Among the reasons given for going on strike were pay inequality, lack of women in union leadership, and a general lack of recognition for the value and skill of domestic labor.
During the work stoppage, also known as "Women's Day Off", 25,000 people gathered in Reykjavik, Iceland's capital city, for a rally. There, women listened to speakers, sang, and talked to each other about what could be done to achieve gender equality in Iceland.
Women from many different backgrounds spoke, including a housewife, two members of parliament, and a worker. The last speech of the day was by Aðalheiður Bjarnfreðsdóttir, who "represented Sókn, the trade union for the lowest paid women in Iceland", according to The Guardian.
In 1976, the Icelandic government passed an equal pay law, and the country elected its first female President, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, five years later in 1980.
The 1975 Women's Strike also helped inspire the 2016 "Black Monday" anti-abortion ban protests in Poland, as well as the "International Women's Strike", single day work stoppages on March 8th, 2017 and 2018.
On this day in 1956, a rebellion broke out in Budapest against the Soviet-aligned Hungarian People's Republic. The uprising was the first major threat to Soviet control since the Red Army drove Nazi Germany from its territory at the End of World War II in Europe.
The revolt began as a student protest, which attracted thousands as they marched through central Budapest to the Hungarian Parliament building. Protesters were fired upon from within the building by the State Security Police, killing multiple students.
As news of the violence spread, disorder and violence erupted throughout the capital, including the lynching of communist organizers and release and arming of anti-communist political prisoners.
As the rebellion grew, the government quickly collapsed. Thousands of people organized militias, battling state police and Soviet troops. Insurgents took control of workers' councils from the ruling Hungarian Working People's Party and demanded political reforms.
On November 4th, a large Soviet force invaded Budapest and other regions of the country. The Soviet government justified the suppression by taking the position that the uprising was fascist in character, although this claim has been disputed by historians such as Peter Fryer, author of "Hungarian Tragedy" and eyewitness to the uprising.
Over 2,500 Hungarians and 700 Soviet troops were killed in the conflict, and 200,000 Hungarians fled as refugees. Mass arrests and denunciations continued for months thereafter, and suppression of the revolution continued for decades afterward.
These Soviet actions, while strengthening control over the Eastern Bloc, alienated many Western Marxists, leading to splits and/or considerable losses of membership for communist parties in capitalist states.
Imre Nagy, a communist political leader during the crisis who embraced some of the insurgent's proposed reforms, was secretly captured, convicted of organizing the overthrow of the Hungarian People's Republic, and executed.
In 1989, Nagy was politically rehabilitated and re-buried. Approximately 200,000 people attended the ceremony, one of the events that marked an end to communism in Hungary. At the inauguration of the Third Hungarian Republic in 1989, October 23rd was declared a national holiday.
The uprising is celebrated by right-wing forces today; in 2006, President Bush sent George Pataki, the governor of New York, to Budapest to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution.
Otto Rühle, born on this day in 1874, was a German left communist educator and writer who participated in the Spartacus League (along with Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht). Rühle was also a vocal opponent of both World War I and World War II.
Although Liebknecht and Luxemburg were murdered in 1919 for their involvement in the German Revolution, Rühle lived on to participate in the left opposition of the German labor movement, developing an early communist critique of both Bolshevism and fascism.
Rühle saw the Soviet Union as a form of state capitalism that had much in common with the state-centered capitalism of the West as well as fascism.
"This distinction between head and body, between intellectuals and workers, officers and privates, corresponds to the duality of class society. One class is educated to rule; the other to be ruled. Lenin's organisation is only a replica of bourgeois society. His revolution is objectively determined by the forces that create a social order incorporating these class relations, regardless of the subjective goals accompanying this process."
The Long March was a famous military retreat undertaken by the Red Army of the Communist Party of China (CPC) that lasted 370 days, ending on this day in 1935 in Shaanxi Province.
The Long March was an arduous journey - estimates are that the Long March took around 6000 miles, and only 8,000 of the original 100,000 soldiers who began the march actually arrived in Shaanxi.
The Long March was also notable for causing Mao Zedong to take on leadership of the CPC, and as well as galvanizing popular support for the communist movement. From their base in Shaanxi Province, the revolutionary army went on to defeat nationalist forces after the conclusion of World War II.
John Reed, born on this day in 1887, was an American journalist, poet, and communist activist. Reed served as a war correspondent, covered strikes, interviewed Pancho Villa, and was an eyewitness to the October Revolution.
Reed first gained prominence as a war correspondent during the first World War, and later became best known for his coverage of the October Revolution in Petrograd, Russia, which he wrote about in the book "Ten Days That Shook the World".
As the U.S. entered World War I, Reed was marginalized for his anti-war sentiments and set sail with his partner Bryant from New York to Europe. The pair were going as working journalists to report on the sensational developments taking place in the fledgling republic of Russia. They were in Petrograd for the October Revolution. Reed was an enthusiastic supporter of the new revolutionary socialist government, and met both Leon Trotsky and Lenin while there.
Reed subsequently made a trip back to the U.S., where he vehemently defended the new Soviet Republic and was arrested three times, the last for violating the Sedition Act. After being acquitted, Reed returned to the USSR and again met with Lenin and Trotsky.
Reed died from spotted typhus while trying to return to the United States in 1920. He was given a state funeral and buried at the Kremlin Wall Necropolis.
Giuseppe "Pino" Pinelli, born on this day in 1928, was a railroad worker and anarchist organizer possibly murdered by Italian police following fascist bombings in Milan. He died in 1969 by falling out of a window while in police custody.
Pinelli was a member of the Milan-based anarchist association named "Ponte della Ghisolfa", and was also the secretary of the Italian branch of the Anarchist Black Cross. He organized young anarchists in the "Gioventu Libertaria" (Libertarian Youth) in 1962 and helped found the "Sacco and Vanzetti anarchist association" in 1965.
On December 12th, 1969, Italian fascists from the "Ordine Nuovo" orchestrated a bombing campaign in Milan; one bomb in Piazza Fontana killed 17 people and injured 88. The bombing was blamed on Italian anarchists, and Pinelli was detained along with many other leftists, including Pietro Valpreda, who was falsely convicted and served eighteen years in prison.
Just before midnight on December 15th, 1969, Pinelli fell to his death from a fourth floor window of the Milan police station. Three police officers interrogating Pinelli, including Commissioner Luigi Calabresi, were put under investigation in 1971 for his death, but legal proceedings concluded it was due to accidental causes.
Calabresi was later gunned down at his home in 1972, for which leftist Italian journalist Adriano Sofri was convicted in 1990.
On this day in 1837, in what has been described as "one of the most disgraceful acts in American military history", Seminole leader Osceola was captured by U.S. forces after he was tricked into meeting for "peace talks".
Osceola (in Creek, "Asi-yahola"; 1804 - 1838) was an influential leader of the Seminole people in Florida, in particular the Seminole resistance against colonization. Although he was raised in the Creek tradition, Osceola became part of what was known as the Seminole people after moving to Florida as a child.
Osceola's successful attack on military forces on December 28th, 1835 served as a catalyst for beginning the Second Seminole War against the United States. Although the Seminole was victorious in some of the battles of the Second Seminole War, it was on this day in 1837 that General Joseph Hernández captured Osceola, who had come to meet Hernández under the false promise of peace talks.
General Hernández had agreed to meet with Osceola under a white flag of truce, but promptly arrested Osceola and 81 of his followers. Osceola died from illness a few months after his capture, on January 30th, 1838.
On this day in 1927, the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) called a strike of all mine workers, which was quickly heeded in Colorado. Nearly all the mines in Colorado were closed, and the dozen still open did so using imported scab labor. For the still-operating Columbine mine, scab workers were housed in Serene, which was fortified with barbed wire on the fences and armed guards.
Mass rallies had been held by workers outside the Columbine mine in Serene for several weeks and, on the morning of November 21st, miners and their families were fired upon by a militia of ex-police, armed with machine guns and tear gas. Six people were killed, and the event became known as the "Columbine Massacre".
The owner of the Rocky Mountain Fuel Company, Josephine Roche, brought an end to the strike several weeks after the incident at Columbine by declaring that the company union was to be affiliated with the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and recognizing the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA). The backbone of IWW support in the Colorado mines was broken, and the revolutionary union went into decline.
On this day in 1920, a general strike took place in Romania in response to a call by the General Confederation of Labor. The strike was caused by the Romanian government's refusal to satisfy workers' demands as formulated by the General Council of the Socialist Party of Romania (SPR).
These demands included observance of democratic freedoms, recognition of workers' factory committees, the abolition of the state of siege then existing in Romania, and the elimination of censorship.
Despite reprisals by the authorities and the capitulation of right-wing leaders of both the SPR and the General Confederation of Labor, who declared the strike over on October 26th, the strike grew to large proportions, with about 400,000 workers taking part in the protest. The strike was put down by force on October 28th.
On this day in 1920, a general strike took place in Romania in response to a call by the General Confederation of Labor. The strike was caused by the Romanian government's refusal to satisfy workers' demands as formulated by the General Council of the Socialist Party of Romania (SPR).
These demands included observance of democratic freedoms, recognition of workers' factory committees, the abolition of the state of siege then existing in Romania, and the elimination of censorship.
Despite reprisals by the authorities and the capitulation of right-wing leaders of both the SPR and the General Confederation of Labor, who declared the strike over on October 26th, the strike grew to large proportions, with about 400,000 workers taking part in the protest. The strike was put down by force on October 28th.
Maurice Bishop was a Grenadian revolutionary and a leader of communist New Jewel Movement, assassinated on this day in 1983. Following his death, President Ronald Reagan invaded Grenada, toppling the revolutionary government.
Bishop headed the People's Revolutionary Government of Grenada from 1979 until 1983, when he was dismissed from his post and shot in a coup, leading to civil unrest and a U.S. invasion of the country.
Although Bishop grew up in Grenada, he left to study in London as a young adult. While there, Bishop acquired a law degree and studied the works of Lenin, Mao Zedong, and Julius Nyerere.
In 1970, he returned to Grenada and was active politically, representing striking nurses in court and helping lead the "New Jewel Movement". The New Jewel Movement ultimately put him in power when, in 1979, the movement successfully led a coup against Eric Gairy and Bishop became the Prime Minister of Grenada.
Among Bishop's core principles were workers' rights, women's rights, and the struggle against racism and apartheid. Women were given equal pay and paid maternity leave, and sex discrimination was made illegal. Organizations to promote education, health care, youth affairs, and literacy were also established. Due to his administration's efforts, illiteracy and unemployment greatly declined.
In 1983, power struggles within the party culminated in Bishop and seven members of his cabinet being captured and executed by forces led by Bernard Coard.
After Bishop's murder, the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and Grenada's governor-general Paul Scoon appealed to the United States for help. Within the month, Ronald Reagan launched an invasion of Grenada.
"The Grenadian Revolution is 'even worse' - I'm using their language - than the Cuban and Nicaraguan Revolutions because the people of Grenada and the leadership of Grenada speak English and can communicate directly with the people of the United States.
...The people of Grenada and the leadership of Grenada are predominantly black...And if we have 95% of predominantly African origin in our country, we can have a dangerous appeal to 30 million black people in the United States."
Maurice Bishop, discussing a secret U.S. State Department report on the Grenadian Revolution
On this day in 1920, a general strike took place in Romania in response to a call by the General Confederation of Labor. The strike was caused by the Romanian government's refusal to satisfy workers' demands as formulated by the General Council of the Socialist Party of Romania (SPR).
These demands included observance of democratic freedoms, recognition of workers' factory committees, the abolition of the state of siege then existing in Romania, and the elimination of censorship.
Despite reprisals by the authorities and the capitulation of right-wing leaders of both the SPR and the General Confederation of Labor, who declared the strike over on October 26th, the strike grew to large proportions, with about 400,000 workers taking part in the protest. The strike was put down by force on October 28th.
On this day in 1920, a general strike took place in Romania in response to a call by the General Confederation of Labor. The strike was caused by the Romanian government's refusal to satisfy workers' demands as formulated by the General Council of the Socialist Party of Romania (SPR).
These demands included observance of democratic freedoms, recognition of workers' factory committees, the abolition of the state of siege then existing in Romania, and the elimination of censorship.
Despite reprisals by the authorities and the capitulation of right-wing leaders of both the SPR and the General Confederation of Labor, who declared the strike over on October 26th, the strike grew to large proportions, with about 400,000 workers taking part in the protest. The strike was put down by force on October 28th.
Laureano Cerrada Santos was an anarchist activist and member of the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT) who was assassinated on this day in 1975.
Santos fought in the Spanish Civil War, helped found the railway union of the CNT, and ran a large forgery operation in France that helped bankroll anti-fascist activism in Francoist Spain.
On January 18th, 1951, an attempted robbery committed by Spanish anarchists went wrong, killing at least three people and wounding eight innocent bystanders.
The Francoist government used this episode to lead a widespread crackdown on the libertarian movement, and France soon followed suit. Cerrada was exiled from the CNT for his association with these activities, but continued his work after being released from prison.
On this day in 1975, Cerrada was murdered by Ramón Benicho Canuda, a CNT infiltrator and French Mafioso who killed Cerrada to prevent his discovery. Canuda fled to Canada after the murder, and was never charged for the crime. Named as working for a foreign power while in Toronto, Canuda subsequently disappeared.
On this day in 1920, a general strike took place in Romania in response to a call by the General Confederation of Labor. The strike was caused by the Romanian government's refusal to satisfy workers' demands as formulated by the General Council of the Socialist Party of Romania (SPR).
These demands included observance of democratic freedoms, recognition of workers' factory committees, the abolition of the state of siege then existing in Romania, and the elimination of censorship.
Despite reprisals by the authorities and the capitulation of right-wing leaders of both the SPR and the General Confederation of Labor, who declared the strike over on October 26th, the strike grew to large proportions, with about 400,000 workers taking part in the protest. The strike was put down by force on October 28th.
On this day in 1920, a general strike took place in Romania in response to a call by the General Confederation of Labor. The strike was caused by the Romanian government's refusal to satisfy workers' demands as formulated by the General Council of the Socialist Party of Romania (SPR).
These demands included observance of democratic freedoms, recognition of workers' factory committees, the abolition of the state of siege then existing in Romania, and the elimination of censorship.
Despite reprisals by the authorities and the capitulation of right-wing leaders of both the SPR and the General Confederation of Labor, who declared the strike over on October 26th, the strike grew to large proportions, with about 400,000 workers taking part in the protest. The strike was put down by force on October 28th.
Concha Pérez Collado, born on this day in 1915, was an anarchist involved with the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT) and anti-fascist soldier during the Spanish Civil War.
When the Civil War broke out, Collado already had access to weapons and training because she was part of an anarchist group that were preparing for what they saw as an inevitable military uprising. She saw action in Barcelona and Aragon, attacking prisons, building barricades for her neighborhood, and working in a munitions factory, before eventually moving to a French refugee camp where she gave birth to her only son.
Pérez Collado returned to Spain under Francisco Franco's rule and ran a jewelry shop with her partner Maurici Palau which doubled as a secret meeting place for anarchists. From 1982 to 1984, Collado participated in a series of interviews with Nick Rider about anarchism in Spain during the 1930s.
The Paris Massacre was a brutal instance of police repression against Algerians that occurred on this day in 1961, during the Algerian War.
There were multiple episodes of violence between French police and the French Algerian community during the anti-colonial Algerian War: racist French cops terrorized Algerians, while pro-liberation groups targeted and killed police with bombing campaigns.
It was in this context that the head of the Parisian police, Maurice Papon (a former Nazi collaborator later convicted of crimes against humanity) ordered police to kill Algerians, promising that they would be protected from any consequences.
Under these orders, the French National Police attacked a demonstration by 30,000 pro-National Liberation Front (FLN) Algerians on October 17th, beating dozens to death and throwing people into the Seine river, where many drowned. After 37 years of denial and censorship of the press, the French government finally acknowledged 40 deaths in 1998, although there are estimates of 100 to 300 victims.
Enver Hoxha, born on this day in 1908, was the communist leader of Albania from 1946 to 1985, leaving behind a complex legacy of feminism and greatly improved access to healthcare and education, coupled with what critics perceive as a paranoid personality cult and brutal state repression.
Hoxha is also known for having sharp ideological and political disagreements with the Soviet Union and communist Yugoslavia, siding most strongly with and receiving aid from Maoist China.
Before coming into power, Hoxha was a French school teacher and librarian, becoming a communist partisan after fascist Italy invaded Albania in 1939. In March 1943, the first National Conference of the Communist Party elected Hoxha formally as First Secretary.
It was in this position as First Secretary that Hoxha became head of state after the Albanian monarchy was abolished in 1946.
In the years after Stalin's death, Hoxha grew increasingly distressed by the policies of the Soviet leadership and of Khrushchev in particular. China was also disillusioned with Soviet behavior at this time, and Hoxha found common ground with Mao Zedong's criticisms of Moscow. By 1961, Hoxha's attacks on the "revisionist" Soviet leadership had so infuriated Khrushchev that he elected first to terminate Moscow's economic aid to Albania and ultimately to sever diplomatic relations entirely.
Under Hoxha's leadership, the Albanian literacy rate improved from 5-10% in rural areas to more 90%. Hoxha was also a proponent of women's rights, stating "the entire party and country should hurl into the fire and break the neck of anyone who dared trample underfoot the sacred edict of the party on the defense of women's rights". Accordingly, more than 175 times as many women attended secondary schools in 1978 than had done so in 1938.
Critics of Hoxha point out that his reign had state repression of dissidents reminiscent of the Soviet Union and what they perceived as a paranoid personality cult. The 1992 book "Albania: A Country Study", commissioned by the U.S. government, alleged that one out of three Albanians had either been interrogated by the Sigurimi secret police or incarcerated in labor camps.
Hoxha died in 1985, leading Ramiz Alia to succeed him as head of state. Although Albania was one of the poorest European nations at the time of his death, the country was also economically self-sufficient, carrying minimal foreign debt and boasting a trade surplus of $10 million.
"Every departure from class struggle has fatal results for the destiny of socialism."
