Battle of George Square

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Black Friday.

For other uses, see Bloody Friday.

David Kirkwood being detained by police

The 1919 Battle of George Square, also known as Bloody Friday and Black Friday, was one of the worst riots on the streets of Glasgow, Scotland, which took place on Friday, 31 January 1919 ^[1]. The dispute revolved around a campaign for shorter working hours, backed by widespread strike action. Clashes between police and protesters broke out, and led to the British Government sending soldiers to the city to prevent any further gatherings due to their fear of a left-wing workers revolution, described as a 'Bolshevist uprising' by the then Secretary of State for Scotland ^[2], as had happened the previous year in the 1917 Russian Revolution and was occurring in Germany whilst the 'Forty Hours' strike unfolded .

1 The forty hours strike
2 The riot
- 2.1 Caused by trams?
3 Soldiers in the streets
4 Consequences
5 See also
6 References

[edit] The forty hours strike

The Scottish TUC and Clyde Workers' Committee called the '40 hours strike' in January 1919 ^[3] to demand a reduction in working hours. The immediate objective was to alleviate unemployment by sharing out available work more widely. Unemployment was expected to be a major problem at the end of the war, as large numbers of soldiers were suddenly reintroduced to the labour force. In fact, a short post-war economic boom delayed the onset of mass unemployment for several years. However, some areas with much war-related industry, such as Glasgow, with its munitions factories and shipbuilding, suffered greatly from the ending of wartime employment.

Before the First World War, the working week was 54 hours but Scottish workers wanted it cut to 30. Emmanuel Shinwell, the Glasgow Trades Council president, persuaded them to go for 40 hours a week.

A strikers' meeting was called for Monday, 27 January, and more than 3000 workers gathered at St Andrew's Halls. By Friday 31 January, this number had swollen to 'upwards of 60,000' ^[1]. It was Scotland's first mass picket.

[edit] The riot

The exact cause of the riot has been disputed - some sources indicate it was caused by an unprovoked baton charge by the City of Glasgow Police, whilst others indicate that strikers attempted to stop trams trying to run in the square ^[2]. Fighting broke out between workers and police with the fighting spreading as far as Glasgow Green. Many people, women and children among them, were injured. More than a dozen strikers were taken to Duke Street Prison and later tried at the High Court of Justiciary in Edinburgh.

[edit] Caused by trams?

Some sources indicate that trams running through the strike may have started the riot. City magistrates had been forewarned of the dangers of keeping trams on the streets at a time when 10,000 strikers were marching from the halls to occupy George Square. But the warning was ignored, and the riot started after a tram tried to make its way through the square while strike leaders were inside the City Chambers awaiting talks with the Provost.

Tanks and soldiers from England

[edit] Soldiers in the streets

After the riot, soldiers with machine guns, tanks and a howitzer, occupied Glasgow's streets for a week to deter any more gatherings. No Scottish troops were deployed, with the British government fearing that fellow Scots, soldiers or otherwise, would go over to the workers' side if a revolutionary situation developed in Glasgow. English troops were transported from England and stationed in Glasgow specifically to combat this possible scenario. The soldiers of the Highland Light Infantry, based in the city's Maryhill barracks were subject to a lock-in, with an estimated 10,000 English troops and tanks ^[1] sent into the city to control unrest and extinguish any revolution that should break out. (See also Red Clydeside)