April 30, 1919: 105 years ago, April 30 1919, California governor William Stephens signed [...]

105 years ago, April 30 1919, California governor William Stephens signed the Criminal Syndicalism Act into law, along with acts criminalizing the “teaching of sabotage” and the displaying of red flags or “symbols of anarchy.” The acts were explicitly targeted at the IWW

The Criminal Syndicalism Act soon became one of the state’s most effective tools for repressing radical movements. Almost immediately, it was used to jail members of the Oakland chapter of the newly formed Communist Labor Party (a forerunner of the Communist Party)

Within just five years, there were over 500 arrests and 164 convictions under the act. It was used against labor unions, organizers, radicals, and intellectuals of various stripes, but most aggressively against the Communist Party and its allies. It was not repealed until 1991

By 8 A.M. the next morning, the occupation had ended and 20 people were arrested. As said in the Tribe, “It is up to us all to make the next move. LET’S GET TOGETHER AND GET IT ON. The struggle of the Indian is the struggle of ALL PEOPLE. ALL POWER TO THE INDIANS OF ALL TRIBES!”