The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-04-04
POLICE TRAMPLE
JOBLESS men AT
CHICAGO NEE T
Unemployed Thousands
Blacken Streets
(By a Worker Correspondent


CHICAGO, (By MaiD. = Or
Wednesday, March 18th, the Chicago
Council of Unemployed staged q
monster parade through the streets
of the downtown section of the city
The parade followed upon two large
mass meetings held at 30 N. Wells
Street.
Thousands of unemployed workers,
carrying banners with slogans: "Work
or Bread" "Give Us Work Or Relief,
Billions For Battleships, Not a
Penny For the Unemployed" "Our
Children Are Hungry" ETC., marched
to the City Hall. They paraded twice
around the one-square block occupied
by the city hall building. The march
+ around the city hall was to focus the
attention of the unemployment situa-
ton on the public eye, as well as to
impress the city council which was
! then in session to act on the resolu-
ton before them, demanding work or
relief for the unemployed
Thousands On Streets.
From the city hall, the unemployed
| thousands marched east on Washing
ton Street to State st. On State St.,
they marched south to Madison ST.,
where they halted. On State and
Madison, commonly known as the
busiest corner in the world" the
! chairman of the council, Samuel A.
Herman, member of the Young Work
ers (Communist) League Of America,
mounted a box and spoke to thou
sands that blackened the streets.
| After several minutes he was dragged
down by police, whereupon Clara
| Shapiro mounted the same box and
spoke until police made it impossible
to go on with the demonstration.
The March to the City Hall.
The scene was unforgetable. Peo-
pie huddled together around the I'M
employed speakers, countless heads
sticking out of department store
buildings, traffic stopped, confusion,
bewildered police and shouting motor
lists all made the affair a spectacle
without parallel in many years.
Dispersed at Ne busiest corner in
the world" the unemployed marched
again to the ciV hall, followed by
numbers of people, photographers of
various newspapers, reporters, and
police. Near the city hall another
open air meeting was staged. Gilbert
Green mounted a Keep the City
Clean" box and addressed the large
number of people that gathered
around him.
The alderman of the City Council
and other politicians peered down
upon the heads of the assembled
crowd with looks Of surprise on their
faces. Following the speaker, Samuel
A, Herman made short address.
By this time number of mounted
police appeared on the scene and
charged brutally into the huddled
thousands. With clubs swinging,
they rode t h cir horses, cossack
| fashion, tramping on men, women and
children. Herman was dragged off
The box by one of the mounted cos.
sacks and placed under arrest, amidst
the jeers an dderisive calls of the
unemployed end spectators nearby,
aimed at the bru al police. Two other
unemployed were also arrested one of
whom, Nathan Schaffner, being
singled out because he was carrying
huge American flag.
Council Ignores Unemployed.
Fifteen minutes after the exhibition
of police brutality, those arrested
were released. A half hour later a
Gordon of police running into the hun
dreds were thrown around the city
hall to break up any other demon
strations of the unemployed that may
be attempted. The city council has
meanwhile adjourned without paying
any consideration whatsoever to the
resolution of the Chicago Council Of
Unemployed that was given to their
a week ago. The city council merely
pigeon holed the resolution demand
ing relief or work for the unemployed.
BY their action, the local politicians
have demonstrated the truth that was
stressed by all speakers of the I'M
employed, namely, that the workers
must not depend on the politicians of
the capitalist class, but must form
their own party to battle for their
interests--a national Labor Party.