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Vol. 73/No. 17      May 4, 2009

 
25, 50 and 75 years ago
 
May 4, 1984
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, April 25—A general strike occurred here today. The strike comes after two days of rebellion against government-ordered price increases. Hundreds of people have been injured and thousands arrested. More than 45 people have been killed so far—most by the regime’s police.

The rebellion began April 23 following a 24-hour strike called by business organizations and the Dominican Party of Liberation, led by ex-president Juan Bosch. The one-day strike was called to protest Pres. Salvador Jorge Blanco’s order to raise prices on all imported goods by 200 percent as well as price increases on many basic foodstuffs. The austerity measures were part of an agreement with the International Monetary Fund for a $599 million loan.  
 
May 4, 1959
Not since they greeted heroes of the 1905 Russian Revolution, have the American people extended the kind of welcome to a revolutionary they accorded to Fidel Castro during his 11-day tour of Washington, D.C., New York City, and Boston.

Castro, for his part, played up to his role as a leader of a popular revolution. He did not change from his green “26th of July Movement” uniform into mufti at any time.

Wherever he went, his supporters carried banners proclaiming “Long Live the Cuban Revolution!”

To some Americans, the Cuban events seemed to contain food for further thought. “How do you make a revolution?” one New York taxi driver, for example, asked of his fare, following the Castro visit.  
 
May 5, 1934
MINNEAPOLIS, April 30—The surge of labor’s ranks toward the organizations of struggle has a meaning for the profit-mad bosses. They understand that the temper of the workers, who have suffered long years of hunger in the bread lines, is mounting.

The “America First” parade and demonstration in Minneapolis marched in perfect step with these labor-hating bosses and their tools in the Welfare Board. What must be made crystal clear is that a number of active workers, members and, in some cases officials of the Minneapolis Central Council of Workers, played an active role in the work organizing this disgraceful performance. The Minneapolis Central Council of Workers must lose no time in cleaning its ranks of these twilight elements.  
 
 
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