haymarketriotjmc

The Haymarket Riot  pushed for an eight hour workday. Many businesses were already beginning to institute eight hour workdays by the 1880s, in response to growing pressure. Labor unions wanted to see all workers given an eight hour day, so they urged workers to begin striking on 1 May. Strikes, rallies, and walkouts were held around the country. On 3 May, four strikers at the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company were killed during a scuffle with strike breakers and police. In response, the labor community distributed posters calling for a rally at Haymarket  Square the next day.the Haymarket riot labor demonstration which took place in Chicago on 4 May, 1886. While the demonstration started out peacefully, a bomb was thrown when police ordered the marchers to disperse. A policeman was killed by the bomb, and the police reacted by advancing their line and firing on the demonstrators. An unknown number of demonstrators were injured and killed, and several police were injured as well.