May Day in Wichita, KS

The May Day event in Wichita, Kansas was a huge success. The large wooden house, of the Peace and Social Justice Center, on the corner of N. Topeka St. and 13^th, was filled to capacity with people sharing pot luck dinner, music from some local folk musicians and some speeches about the history and need for a workers holiday.

Stuart Elliott, a member of the local Democratic Socialists of America, gave a presentation on the history of international workers holiday, the Haymarket martyrs and the events that led up to their arrests.  

“It is interesting that John Brown, Jr., the oldest son of John Brown the abolitionist interacted with the eight men who where arrested and convicted of the bombing,” Elliott said.

He explained that eight anarchist were arrested for the death of a policeman who died from a bomb. All the anarchist speakers were arrested for giving their speeches. John Brown Jr. had written letters to the jailed prisoners. He even sent them gifts.  

From Wikipedia;

 The Haymarket affair (also known as the Haymarket massacre or Haymarket riot) was a demonstration and unrest that took place on Tuesday May 4, 1886, at the

Haymarket Square

^[3] in Chicago. It began as a rally in support of striking workers. An unknown person threw a dynamite bomb at police as they dispersed the public meeting. The bomb blast and ensuing gunfire resulted in the deaths of eight police officers, mostly from friendly fire, and an unknown number of civilians.^[4][5] In the internationally publicized legal proceedings that followed, eight anarchists were tried for murder. Four men were convicted and executed, and one committed suicide in prison, although the prosecution conceded none of the defendants had thrown the bomb.

Other speakers focussed on Latino Immigrants and some of the injustices brought down on undocumented workers and immigrants (called illegal aliens by the right-wing bigots) who end up working for substandard wages from employers who knowing hire them and cheat them out of any benefits other labourers would get. The event was put on by Wichita Democratic Socialists of America, Sunflower Community Action, and the Peace and Social Justice Center.

Bottom 3 photos by Candice Hare.