The Militant (logo)  

Vol. 74/No. 20      May 24, 2010

 
25, 50 and 75 years ago
 
May 24, 1985
Opponents of racist government-cop terror and all supporters of democratic rights around the country should strongly protest the murderous attack carried out by the Philadelphia city government and city and state cops against the Black community and the predominantly Black group MOVE on May 13.

At least 11 people, including four children, were killed in a cop helicopter bombing and subsequent fire that destroyed 61 homes in a working-class neighborhood of West Philadelphia. Why? Because the mayor and cops said MOVE was a “bizarre,” “radical,” and “militant” organization.

While MOVE is the victim of this combined cop and government assault, the ultimate target is the rights and lives of working people and others who hold or advocate ideas that the capitalists consider beyond the pale.  
 
May 23, 1960
The Southern student sit-in movement entered its fourth month with a victory of major proportions. A signal breakthrough was registered May 10 in Nashville, Tenn., when six leading downtown department and chain stores, including Woolworth’s, Kress’, and Walgreen’s, opened their lunch counters to Negroes on an unsegregated basis.

Nashville’s three-month sit-in campaign was fought with a high level of militancy and organizational efficiency maintained in the face of police terror, mass arrests and violence which culminated in the April 19 dynamiting of a Negro leader’s home. The intensity of the struggle underscored the proportions of the victory.

The Nashville students pressed on to victory after flatly rejecting a “compromise” ninety-day “test” period in which one end of each contested lunch counter would be open to Negroes.  
 
May 25, 1935
Fighting against low wages, discrimination and firing of union men, the bakers and drivers of the Gottfried Baking Co. plants in Manhattan and Bronx struck work at noon Monday.

All workers in the plants, salesmen, drivers, bakers, helpers and maintenance workers, including a large number of women workers organized in Baking Factory Workers Local 50 of the Baking and Confectionary Workers International Union are out.

Herman Gund, general secretary of Local 50, stated that steps are being taken to spread the strike to the Westchester plant of the company and also to tie up the Moore Baking Co. of Astoria, subsidiary of the Gottfried Co.

The demands of the union include union recognition, reinstatement of six men fired for union activity, increased wages and improved working conditions that will overcome the speed up.  
 
 
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