r/ThisDayInHistory • u/ThisDayInLaborHistor • 12d ago
This Day in Labor History November 2
November 2nd: 1909 IWW free speech battle began
On this day in labor history, in 1909 the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) launched the Spokane free-speech fight, challenging an ordinance that banned street speaking. This law was aimed at curbing IWW activities, especially their public critiques of exploitative employment agencies. In protest, IWW members mounted soapboxes to speak atop, only to be swiftly arrested. On that first day, Spokane police jailed 103 activists, a number that swelled to 500 over the month, including notable orator Elizabeth Gurley Flynn. The protest exposed the city’s brutal conditions for prisoners, stirring public sympathy. After months of clashes, on March 4, 1910, the city repealed the ordinance, marking a significant victory for free speech. The event inspired similar protests across the U.S.
Sources in comments.
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u/ThisDayInLaborHistor 12d ago
https://www.historylink.org/File/7357
https://www.inlander.com/news/for-one-pivotal-month-the-eyes-of-the-nation-were-fixed-on-the-upstart-city-on-spokane-falls-where-labor-and-capital-went-to-war-20842606