04/30/2026
On May 1st, we commemorate May Day in memory of the Haymarket Martyrs, the fight for the eight-hour workday in the U.S., and Chicago’s ongoing mark in labor history.
In 1884, the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions called for an 8-hour workday for all workers by May 1, 1886, beginning a national movement. On May 4, 1886, in Chicago, IL, a peaceful protest turned deadly when a bomb was thrown into the crowd, killing attendees, escalating police violence, and causing mass chaos.
Martial law was declared throughout the nation, and government officials hunted down anarchist labor leaders with baseless charges. On a global scale, politicians used this tragedy to go after workers’ rights movements and political opponents in their own countries.
This event, now known as the Haymarket Affair or Haymarket Bombing, and marks one of the most notorious legal trials in U.S. history involving biased jury selection and allegations of bribery. The jury found eight anarchist labor leaders guilty of conspiracy in a notorious trial. In June of 1893, three surviving martyrs were pardoned.
120 years later, May 1st continues to be a powerful day of action for workers’ rights in Chicago and across the country. Check out our last post to see some of the many events happening TOMORROW for May Day.
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