The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-02-11
Hungry JObleSS from BreadlineS
Mass On Union Square In Stern
Fight for Unemployment Relief
Hungry, Coatless, Haggard They Stood Listen
ing to Appeals for A More Determined
Struggle for Bread
By 10 PASS


Out of hreadlineS, flop houses, dirty
rooning houses, the jobless came to
Union Square. The cold day and the
falling snow did not matter; the job
less are accustomed to it. They came
to Union Square demanding Work or
Wages. From half dozen platforms,
representatives from the Unemployed
Council, in the name of the million
hungry in New York City, demanded
relief The thousands gathered were
determined workers with militant
program.
Throughout the crowd one wan
dered in and out seeing faces one
had not seen before; faces strange
to the streets of New York, but for
months now becoming part of the
crowd. 1t is the crowd. 1t is the
workers of the city. The hungry, the
coatleSS, the haggard, coughing,
smileless, with upturned faces to the
speakers on the stands. Listening,
listening, and in their hands placards.
ITO he'll with charity, we demand
wages Don't starve, Fight!'
AT last the jobless, whose morale
the ruling class is attempting to de-
stroy and break down with their
watery soup, and floors for beds have
found strength in unity; they feel
their blood surging faster in their
veins, The Unemployed Councils is
of their making. Here they have
gathered to speak in no uncertain
terms to the masters of America. A
single, powerful voice. drowning out
all the noises Of the street, sings and
a thousand voices respond:
Arise, We prisoners of starvation,
Arise, We wretched of the earth!
For justice thunders condemnation
A better worlds in birth.
Dicks, policemen, stool pigeons
scattered in the crowd. A truck with
Negro and white workers arrives from
Harlem. A lieutenant in civilian
clothes in charge Of the meeting sign
ais to two OF his group. They come
over, he whispers to them: Keep an
eye on them niggers." They quickly
leave to follow the Negro workers and
pass the orders to the rest Of the
dicks. In the pockets of the dicks
there are copies of various militant
papers to throw the workers off the
track. The lieutenant in civilian
clothes is now on the outskirts of the
crowd, taking his orders from man
at window on the cas-. side of the
square. Inconspicuously, they signal
to each other OCCASIONALLY. a depart
ment of justice operator. well dres-
sed, suave. is buying all the papers
and pamphlets to be had on the
square. He walks aroune picking
leaflets off the street.
The crowd remains in spite Of the
cold today. For almost two hours
the workers listen to the speakers,
formulating the demands of the un-
employed, And then the meeting
ends.
But spontaneously the surging
crowd began march. A Hunger
Marchl Around the square with
their plaeards, Eight Against Evic-
ton, Free Food for Children of I'm
employed" they go, singing songs,
shouting their militant demands,
Work or Wages" The hungry are
nlarchingl A wagon passes the
crowd with large billboards on its
sides, EAT More Bread" The march
ers pass the well-fed diners in the
Hotel Lafayette. The diners are
little disturbed. They wipe their
mouths with their Immediately clean
napkins little nervously. Pass the
shop the marchers go. The workers
look out of the windows, waving their
hands at them, encouraging them.
The march goes into the working
class neighborhoods. The women and
children cheer. The Hunger March
is going to the City Hall. And as
they go they sing, determined men
and women. They are workers and
the streets belong to the workers.
The hunger marchers are going to
the City Hall and as they go they
sing:
In the final conflict, let each stand
in his place.