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Vol. 79/No. 25      July 20, 2015

 
25, 50, and 75 Years Ago

July 20, 1990

HAYDEN, Arizona — Protected from the 100 degree heat by a homemade canopy, 20 pickets spent July 4 outside the Asarco copper ore concentrator singing folk songs and talking about the conditions that led to their walkout three days before.

Over 700 workers from the mine and concentrator are on strike. The strike is the first walkout in Arizona’s copper mines since 1983 when Phelps Dodge, with the aid of National Guard troops, defeated the unions in a violent two-year battle. After a 98 percent vote in favor of striking, the ranks are solid in support of the strike walkout. Asarco is asking for more givebacks in medical coverage and pensions and work rule changes.

July 26, 1965

GREENSBORO, Ala., July 18 — Two Negro churches were burned to the ground here today. The Rev. A. T. Days, pastor of the St Mathews AME Church and a civil rights leader, said the burned structures were the St. Mark AME Church in Greensboro and the Elmwood AME Zion Church north of town.

Two days before, over 100 Negro demonstrators picketed downtown white merchants in an effort to win voter registration, education and job opportunities. They were counter-picketed by local Klan members. When the demonstrators returned to their headquarters, the St. Mathews Church, they were surrounded by whites in cars and trucks, and attacked with bottles and bricks.

July 20, 1940

Warning that Stalin will undoubtedly make another attempt on Trotsky’s life, the Trotsky Defense Fund has issued this week an appeal to all members and friends of the Socialist Workers Party for funds to complete the reorganizing of the defense arrangements at Trotsky’s house.

Reorganizing of the defense was begun immediately after the May 24 attack, for it was realized that Stalin, already having the discredit for the attempt to murder Trotsky, would as soon as possible seek to wipe out the stigma of his failure.

An appeal for funds at that time secured a very generous response from S.W.P. members and friends.  
 
 
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