On May 4, 1886, a labor rally in Chicago’s Haymarket Square turned deadly when a bomb exploded near a line of police. The gathering had begun as a peaceful protest in support of workers striking for an eight-hour workday. After the bomb went off, police opened fire, and chaos followed, leading to deaths and injuries among officers and civilians. Authorities blamed anarchist leaders, and several were later executed after controversial trials. The event fueled fear of radicalism in the United States and damaged public support for some labor movements. At the same time, it helped turn May Day into an international symbol of workers’ struggles and labor rights.
