| Today in 1934
The San Francisco General Strike began. The longshoremen’s strike actually started on May 9 and lasted 83 days, leading ultimately to the unionization of all West Coast ports. The strike grew violent quickly, with company goons and police brutalizing longshoremen and sailors. Battles also broke out in Oakland, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle. On July 5, police attacked strikers with tear gas and with clubs in San Francisco while on horseback and later fired into the crowd, killing two and injuring others. A General Strike was called on July 14 and began on July 16, lasting 4 days.
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