Hundreds of protesters lined the sidewalk in front of Colorado Springs City Hall this Labor Day as part of the Workers over Billionaires rally organized by 50501 Colorado Springs, Indivisible Colorado Springs, and El Paso County Progressive Vets. Among the speakers were local members of labor unions, including teachers who referenced an upcoming strike in Colorado Springs School District 11.
The fire took hold in the camp around 7 P.M., set by the anti-union militias working alongside the National Guard to crush the mine strike. As women and children attempted to flee, gunfire from the troops surrounding the camp forced them back into the flames. By the time the chaos subsided, 19 civilians were dead: 12 children, two women, and five of the striking miners. More would die in the coming days, in a conflict which the U.S. Congress’ Commission on Industrial Relations said sparked “danger of a national revolution.”
