may 4, 1886 - Haymarket Square Riot

Description:

At Haymarket Square in Chicago, Illinois, a bomb is thrown at a squad of policemen attempting to break up what had begun as a peaceful labor rally. The police responded with wild gunfire, killing several people in the crowd and injuring dozens more. This event led to the persecutions of several labor leaders and radicals suspected for the act of violence. Union membership hugely declined after this event. Most notably informally ending the Knights of Labor.

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