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A Brief History of May Day...
In the 1860's, they campaigned for shorter working hours in many countries
On May 1st, 1886, workers in Canada and the United States, held peaceful strikes and rallies to demand an eight hour work day.
Two days later, Chicago police killed several demonstrators at a clash between workers and scabs in that city. A rally was held in Haymarket Square to protest the killings, and when police tried to forcibly disperse the crowd a bomb was thrown. Seven police were killed; dozens in the crowd were injured.
Eight leaders of the Chicago workers' movement were charged with the police deaths although none had thrown the bomb. They were all convicted. Four were executed, one died in custody, and three were given life in prison, but were eventually pardoned.
In memory of this struggle, and the struggle of all workers for better conditions, May 1st was declared an eight-hour holiday in 1889, by the International Workers’ Congress in Paris.
In many countries, May 1st is a workers’ holiday celebrated every year.