The Road to Haymarket, May Day, and its Relevance Today

Monday 2 May 2011 at 7.30pm for 8.00pm start
Cube Microplex, Dove St South, Bristol BS2 8JD
£4/3/no one turned away through lack of funds

On the 125th anniversary of the Haymarket Affair, and hot on the heels of
the Bristol May Day Parade, Bristol Indymedia and the Anarchist Bookfair
Collective presentan evening of films and discussion looking at the
origins of International Workers Day and the relevance of labour movement
struggles and trade unions today.

The struggle for a 40 hour week and the murder by cops of striking workers
in Chicago in May 1886 led directly to the events of 4 May in Haymarket,
of more deaths and the conviction of 8 mainly anarchist workers who became
known as the Haymarket Martyrs. May Day became International Workers Day
in 1889 in commemoration of the murder of 4 of them by the state, and of
the struggles of workers internationally.

Tonights first film is a US Labor Beat 1986 documentary 'The Road to
Haymarket' (28mins). It traces the varied struggles of American and
migrant workers in the years before 1886, includes archive images, and
re-enacts key moments and speeches from the Haymarket events.

The second film is a cut-up of 'Trainwreck of the Ideologies 1 & 2'
(20mins approx), also by Labor Beat. This looks at the conflicts which
arose at the unveiling of 2 memorials in 1998 and 2004 to the Haymarket
Affair. Whilst no anarchists were allowed to speak at these events,
speakers included a catholic priest, government reps, and a police
spokesman, as once again our radical past was airbrushed away.

An open discussion will follow on the importance of our histories of
struggle, and the relevance of May Day and trade unions to struggles
today. All welcome.
Some background reading on May Day, with further links at this article: A
The Road to Haymarket, May Day, and its Relevance Today

 

Monday 2 May 2011 at 7.30pm for 8.00pm start

Cube Microplex, Dove St South, Bristol BS2 8JD

£4/3/no one turned away through lack of funds

 

On the 125th anniversary of the Haymarket Affair, and hot on the heels of

the Bristol May Day Parade, Bristol Indymedia and the Anarchist Bookfair

Collective presentan evening of films and discussion looking at the

origins of International Workers Day and the relevance of labour movement

struggles and trade unions today.

 

The struggle for a 40 hour week and the murder by cops of striking workers

in Chicago in May 1886 led directly to the events of 4 May in Haymarket,

of more deaths and the conviction of 8 mainly anarchist workers who became

known as the Haymarket Martyrs. May Day became International Workers Day

in 1889 in commemoration of the murder of 4 of them by the state, and of

the struggles of workers internationally.

 

Tonights first film is a US Labor Beat 1986 documentary 'The Road to

Haymarket' (28mins). It traces the varied struggles of American and

migrant workers in the years before 1886, includes archive images, and

re-enacts key moments and speeches from the Haymarket events.

 

The second film is a cut-up of 'Trainwreck of the Ideologies 1 & 2'

(20mins approx), also by Labor Beat. This looks at the conflicts which

arose at the unveiling of 2 memorials in 1998 and 2004 to the Haymarket

Affair. Whilst no anarchists were allowed to speak at these events,

speakers included a catholic priest, government reps, and a police

spokesman, as once again our radical past was airbrushed away.

 

An open discussion will follow on the importance of our histories of

struggle, and the relevance of May Day and trade unions to struggles

today. All welcome.

Some background reading on May Day, with further links at this article: A

mayday for May Day? (see http://www.bristolanarchistbookfair.org/?p=1214)

 

mayday for May Day? (see http://www.bristolanarchistbookfair.org/?p=1214)
The Road to Haymarket, May Day, and its Relevance Today

 

Monday 2 May 2011 at 7.30pm for 8.00pm start

Cube Microplex, Dove St South, Bristol BS2 8JD

£4/3/no one turned away through lack of funds

 

On the 125th anniversary of the Haymarket Affair, and hot on the heels of

the Bristol May Day Parade, Bristol Indymedia and the Anarchist Bookfair

Collective presentan evening of films and discussion looking at the

origins of International Workers Day and the relevance of labour movement

struggles and trade unions today.

 

The struggle for a 40 hour week and the murder by cops of striking workers

in Chicago in May 1886 led directly to the events of 4 May in Haymarket,

of more deaths and the conviction of 8 mainly anarchist workers who became

known as the Haymarket Martyrs. May Day became International Workers Day

in 1889 in commemoration of the murder of 4 of them by the state, and of

the struggles of workers internationally.

 

Tonights first film is a US Labor Beat 1986 documentary 'The Road to

Haymarket' (28mins). It traces the varied struggles of American and

migrant workers in the years before 1886, includes archive images, and

re-enacts key moments and speeches from the Haymarket events.

 

The second film is a cut-up of 'Trainwreck of the Ideologies 1 & 2'

(20mins approx), also by Labor Beat. This looks at the conflicts which

arose at the unveiling of 2 memorials in 1998 and 2004 to the Haymarket

Affair. Whilst no anarchists were allowed to speak at these events,

speakers included a catholic priest, government reps, and a police

spokesman, as once again our radical past was airbrushed away.

 

An open discussion will follow on the importance of our histories of

struggle, and the relevance of May Day and trade unions to struggles

today. All welcome.

Some background reading on May Day, with further links at this article: A

mayday for May Day? (see http://www.bristolanarchistbookfair.org/?p=1214)