workingclasshistory:

On this day, 27 March 1881, rioting took place in Basingstoke, England, in protest against the daily vociferous promotion of teetotalism by the Christian organisation the Salvation Army. Local people responded to a leaflet calling for working men to “mass again” after a riot the previous week, and dubbed themselves Massagainians. Several hundred Massagainians followed the morning Salvation Army parade, which was protected by a few dozen special constables backed up by 30 county police. When no trouble broke out, most of the special constables left, and that afternoon joined with the Massagainians, who had now amassed a crowd of over 3,000 people on Church and Brook streets. The Salvation Army attempted to march anyway, but were blocked by the mob, at which point fighting broke out. The mayor then read the riot act and called in the actual army to disperse the crowds, which they did in violent fashion, but without causing any deaths. Further Salvation Army marches took place later over the coming two years, and continued to be dogged by violent protests.
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Pictured: an illustration of the Skeleton Army, anti-Salvation Army protesters in London around the same time https://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.296224173896073/1385011911683955/?type=3