On this day, 24 February 1912, during the Bread and Roses strike of around 20,000 mostly female textile workers in the Industrial Workers of the World union, police clubbed children of strikers being transported to stay with other families, and their mothers. One pregnant mother miscarried after the beating.
Many children were looked after by strike supporters in New York City to help parents bear the hardship of being on strike. The tactic was very successful so on this day city authorities tried to prevent 100 children going to Philadelphia.
However when the women and children were arrested they refused to pay fines and instead chose jail. And the police violence backfired and galvanised support around the US.
This is our podcast episode about women in the early IWW: https://workingclasshistory.com/2018/12/02/e16-women-in-the-early-iww/ https://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.296224173896073/1358522460999567/?type=3