In this newsreel, presented is a look at the historic 1934 West Coast Longshoremen’s Strike which lasted nearly three months and led to the establishment of unions for port workers on the West Coast.
On Bloody Thursday, after fights broke out near San Francisco’s Embarcadero between police, strikebreakers and waterfront workers, the situation took a turn for the worse when police fired shotguns into a crowd of protesters. This led to a general strike which shut down the city of San Francisco.
Market Street is deserted. There are no drivers for public transit. Gas stations have run out of fuel due to the high demand for petrol and the lack of deliveries to replenish it. There has been a run on food at grocery stores, and the meat from the butcher’s counter has sold out.
With the threat of famine and mob riots, Mayor Angelo Rossi makes a plea for law and order to the citizens of San Francisco.
To this day, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union commemorate Bloody Thursday on July 5th by shutting down all West Coast ports for the day.
