Civil Rights & Labor History Consortium | Photo and Document Gallery | 1919 Seattle General Strike | Strike sites today | Police attack meeting of Socialists and IWWs
Three weeks before the General Strike, police officers broke up a meeting of 3,000 who had gathered to protest US intervention in the Russian Civil War Meeting at 4th Avenue and Virginia Street.
Address: 4th and Virginia Street
On January 12, 1919 3,000 members of the IWW and Socialist party gathered at an empty parking lot at 4th and Virginia to protest the United States intervention in Russia. The speakers at the demonstration urged a general strike to tie up all industries and shipping engaged in the manufacturing of supplies for the U.S. Army and their Siberian Allies. The demonstration at the parking lot attracted 5,000 people who participated in the singing of Wobbly songs and taking up a collection. When police intervened a riot ensued and 13 IWW members were arrested. It is speculated that the 13 men arrested were pointed out to the police by the minute men who were witness to the demonstration.
Four days later (January 16, 1919) 500 militants assembled at the parking lot to speak out against the police’s actions at the January 12th meeting. When the men began to parade down the streets of Seattle towards the city jail, the demonstration was broken up by mounted police who charged the crowd.
