Haymarket Riot Redux: Preferably Without the Murder & Bombthrowing, This Time

By Karl Klockars in News on Mar 22, 2011 7:20PM

Want to get symbolically involved with the union battles in Wisconsin and Indiana, but don't want to leave Chicago proper? Wish you had some historical context to complement the labor struggles of today? Ever wondered what that whole "Haymarket Riot" thing was all about (not the band, btw)? Or, maybe you just wanted to indulge that steampunk curiosity you've been harboring. Either way, it appears that Haymarket Square will be the place to be on April 30th.

As part of VersionFest and in conjunction with the Drinking and Writing crew, the Illinois Labor History Society and the Pocket Guide to Hell, it's promised that a "a full-scale, original site reenactment of the Haymarket Affair" will take place the afternoon of the 30th to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the riot (which took place May 4th, 1886). We hope "full-scale" means "minus the part where a bunch of people died."

As you can see, public participation is encouraged, so start growing that twirly moustache out now. Regardless of whether you show up as a Cop, a Laborer, a regular citizen or an Anarchist (and we have a feeling the latter will be well represented), the afterparty at Haymarket Brewing should be good times. Practice your union songs, prepare a good protest sign, and mark your calendars.