Fourmies massacre
The Fourmies massacre was an event which happened on 1 May 1891 in Fourmies, in the French Nord department. Government troops fired on a peaceful demonstration of workers demanding an eight-hour workday. The troops' action against the workers, claiming "C'est les huit heures qu'il nous faut !", killed nine people, including two children, and injured 35 people. With the Clichy affair, happening the same day, it was one of the events of this period where the social tensions reached their peak in France.
Context
Fourmies was a small town of 2000 people at the beginning of the 19th century, but it had experienced rapid industrial industrial growth and demographic growth because of the textile industry. In 1891, it had 37 silk and wool mills, and 15 000 people, in majority factory workers.In the factories, workers worked for 12 hours a day, and six days a week. Their salaries were particularly low.
Starting in 1885, the textile industry in the Nord began to experience difficulties. These difficulties had direct repercussions for the workers, with unemployment and salary reductions when food and lodging expenses were rising.