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Memorial Day Massacre - Republic Steel Strike 1937

On May 30, 1937, striking Republic Steel workers and sympathizers attempted to establish a picket line at the front of the mill on Chicago's Southeast Side. The protesting marchers, including families from the surrounding community, halted when met by a line of Chicago police officers in a field north of the mill gate. Following a short standoff, violence erupted; 10 protesters died and approximately 90 were injured while retreating from police clubs, tear gas, and bullets. The episode stands as one of the most violent in the history of U.S. labor organization. Images like this one and a Paramount newsreel shot at the scene of the confrontation between police and Republic Steel strikers on May 30 were used as evidence in the U.S. Senate's investigation of the incident. Although a local coroner's jury held the police blameless, the Senate and other investigative groups held that the ten deaths were both caused by the police and were avoidable. The newsreel, which was prohibited from being shown in Chicago, was
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