We are Closed May 1st (May Day)

We will be closed Thursday, May 1st in celebration of May Day, and so we can attend the Immigrant & Labor Rights March that day.

Where: South Steps of the State Capitol. Look for the NO BORDERS banner.

When: 4:30pm, March at 5.30pm

Why: On May 1st, 2006 millions of migrants and their supporters took to the streets of major US cities including Austin to demand respect for their human rights. Stop the Workplace Raids! No Border Wall! ICE Out of the Travis County Jail! Demand dignity for immigrant workers! Demand the right to live without fear of deportations that divide families! For a World Without Borders!

A Brief History of May Day

May Day is International Workers' Day, an official holiday in 66 countries, but rarely recognized in this country where it began. In the 19th century, workers were struggling for the 8-hour work day, when it was very common to work 10-16 hour days in unsafe conditions. By the 1880's organized labor, inluenced by socialism, was strong enough to demand the 8-hour workday.

Tens of thousands became disillusioned with the political process and rejected it to created new, anarchist groups. Anarchism sought to end hierarchical structures, emphasized worker-controlled industry and valued direct action over bureaucracy.

On May 1, 1886, at least 300,000 workers in 13,000 businesses across the United States walked off their jobs. In Chicago, the epicenter, 40,000 went out on strike just with the anarchists, later swelling to 100,000. Two days later on May 3, the first violence broke out between police and strikers and a public meeting was called for May 4th in Haymarket Square. About 3000 people showed up, including families, children and the mayor of Chicago, who later testified that the crowd was calm and orderly.

As the meeting ended, police marched on the crowd and a bomb was thrown killing one officer and wounding seven more who later died. No one knows who threw the bomb, but speculation ranges from anarchists to a police agent. The police then fired into the crowd, killing about seven or eight civilians and wounding forty. As a result, the government, business and media conducted the very first "Red Scare". Anarchism became synonymous with bomb throwing and socialism became un-American.

Eight anarchists were arrested for murder, though only three were present at Haymarket and in full view when the bombing occurred. The world watched as they were convicted, not for their actions, but for their political and social beliefs. On November 11, 1887, after many failed appeals, four were hung, one took his own life and the remaining three went to prison and were pardoned after six years.

May Day is a reminder that people were shot so we could have the 8-hour day and that child victims of industrial accidents marched in the streets protesting working conditions only to be beaten down.