'Bloody Friday' - 31st January 1919

[afleitch]

Posted this now as I may not be on the forum later in the week.

Bloody Friday, or the Battle of George Square was a quashed 'workers uprising' in the months after Armistace.

With the Scottish TUC and the CWC pushing for a reduction in hours to a 40 hour week (down from 54) The run up to the strike had seen crowds of some 10,000 gather in halls across the city. By the Thursday this has swelled to over 60,000. Strikers were told to meet in George Square on Friday to hear Lord Provost Sir James Watson Stewart read a response from the Government to the unions' request for Government intervention in the dispute.


Strike leaders Emanuel Shinwell (left) and Harry Hopkins (right) address the crowd

It is held that the rioting started either by a baton charge or by workers blocking the trams. In reality it was a variety of factors, particularly as rioting took place at Glasgow Green.


The statue that appears to be 'tied' in attempt to topple it (?) is of William Gladstone.


David Kirkwood is knocked to the ground

With many men still mobilised, troops at nearby Maryhill Barracks were quarantined in fear that they would sympathise with the strikers. 10,000 troops from English barracks were drafted and patrolled the streets, alongside tanks in the days after the riots.


Troops in the city


There was never a real intent for 'revolution'; it was not in the nature of the main protesters and those who supported it were relatively sidelined. However if it happened, it would have been quick. Queen St Station; the main station to Edinburgh and the General Postal Office building bordered the square. Any revolt at Maryhill barracks would have allowed thousands of soldiers to flood into the city in a matter of minutes. Either it's a self contained rebellion or it spreads. Thankfully it never happened.

[k-onmmunist]

I was unaware of this event.

Kudos for trying to bring down the statue of that fool Gladstone though.