As today, the past saw demonstrations and confrontations on the streets of the United States over the struggle in Palestine. After 2000 Jewish, anti-Zionist Communists Party members held rally at New York City’s Irving Plaza on August 28, 1929 in support of the ‘Arab Revolt’ in Palestine, Party meetings and offices were attacked by right-wing Zionists, and ‘socialist’ Zionists, the American Legion, and police. The Communist Party had a substantial Jewish membership and its influential and widely read Yiddish-language paper Morgen Freiheit was a particular target for assault. Below is a dossier of attacks on offices in Chicago and New York City, mob violence in Detroit and Cleveland, and a series of street melees in New York City, largely between Zionist and anti-Zionist Jews, the following two weeks as covered in the Daily Worker.

‘Jewish Workers Support Arabs Against British’ from the Daily Worker. Vol. 6 No. 149. August 29, 1929.

Communists Call for Join Struggle

Support for the Arabian masses in their struggle against British imperialism and its Zionist allies was voiced by more than 2,000 Jewish workers who crowded Irving Plaza hall, Irving Plaza and 15th St., to the doors last night at a mass meeting arranged by the Jewish Section of the Communist Party of the United States.

Although a group of Zionists and socialists following out the policy of provocative, editorials and news stories against the Communist Party for its revolutionary position on the Palestine question that appeared in yesterday’s editions of the Jewish Daily Forward and the Jewish Day, attempted to break up the meeting early in the evening, they were repulsed by the strong workers’ guard which assembled in the hall. The overwhelming majority of the Jewish workers present agreed with the speeches which they enthusiastically applauded.

Many Speakers.

The speakers were William W. Weinstone, district organizer of the Communist Party; Morris Shifris, who was a member of the Jewish Legion which fought for British imperialism in Palestine; M. J. Olgin, editor Jewish Daily Freiheit; Louis Hyman, M. Epstein and J. Sultan. B. Saltzman presided.

“The Arabian masses,” Weinstone pointed out, “are rising against their oppressors, a revolt is taking place against British imperialism but the Jewish bourgeoisie will not admit it.

“The Jewish and Arabian masses are being killed with the aid of the Jewish bourgeoisie. The Jewish masses are being used as the tools of British imperialism in its plan to dominate the Arabian masses.

Driven from Land.

“The Arabian peasants are driven from their land which is transferred to the Zionists. So what happens? The Arabian masses, spurred on by the Arabian large land owners take up the fight against the Jewish masses. The Jewish and Arabian masses must join in a common struggle against British imperialism and the Jewish Zionists.”

Yesterday, groups of Jewish fascists and socialists visited many news stands in the working class sections of the city and attempted to have the news dealers remove the Daily Worker and the Jewish Daily Freiheit. They realized that these two Communist newspapers are giving the workers a correct estimation of events in Palestine and want to prevent it.

‘Zionists Break Up Open-Air Meeting’ from the Daily Worker. Vol. 6 No. 151. August 31, 1929.

Communist Assaulted By Jewish Fascists

Jewish fascists broke up an open air meeting of the Communist Party Thursday night at Washington Ave. and Claremont Parkway, the Bronx, and severely beat up Louis A. Baum, who was speaking. Although out numbered 50 to one, the small group of Communists bravely fought back and gave a good account of themselves. Baum was rushed off the plat form by a large group of Jewish business men who kicked him after he was on the ground. Before Baum was beaten to the ground he used the end of the platform as a club and hit one of the Zionists on the head. However, the odds were too great and Baum was forced to the ground where he was kicked and stepped upon by the Jewish fascists.

Mob Was Organized.

As soon as A. Shapiro, who was chairman of the meeting started to speak the well organized group of fascists started to shout and yell, stating that no Communist meeting would be allowed on that corner. They denounced the Daily Worker and the Jewish Daily Freiheit.

When Baum started to speak, the mob became more menacing. They raid that if the meeting was not ended at once, they would break it up. When Baum replied that the Communist Party had no intention of taking orders from Zionists, one of the fascists stated that he was a property owner in that section and would see to it that no meetings would be held. Most of the mob consisted of business men and supporters of the socialist party.

Another Meeting Thursday.

It was announced that another meeting will be held at the same corner next Thursday night at which a workers guard will be on hand to protect the speakers from the Jewish fascists.

‘Zionist Drive Against Communist Party’ from the Daily Worker. Vol. 6 No. 154. September 4, 1929.

Destroy Freiheit and Break Up Meetings.

BROOKLYN. Five hundred Zionists and socialists last night attempted to break up an open air meeting of the Young Communist League held at the corner of Stone and Pitkin Ave., Brooklyn, which was attended by more than 2,000 workers.

Although the Jewish fascists rushed the platform a score of times they were repulsed by the strong Workers Guard that was on hand. The Zionists and socialists were well organized but they were no match for the disciplined Workers Guard.

The speakers included Sidney Magidson, Herbert Fink, Sophie Trotsky, I. Schwartz and Louis Burtz.

The five policemen who were at the meeting ’helped the Zionists. One of them told a Jewish fascist that they should push the speaker off the platform.

The Zionist-socialist campaign against the Communist Party, the Daily Worker and the Jewish Daily Freiheit for their exposure of the imperialist aims of Zionism and for their support of the Arabs in their fight against British imperialism, is continuing.

Provocative articles against the Communist Party and its press appear every day in the three capitalist Jewish newspapers—the Forward, the Day and the Jewish Morning Journal. They denounce the Communists and urge the Jewish bourgeoisie and petty-bourgeoise to use violent methods against the Communist Party.

Patrol Jewish Sections.

Organized groups of Zionists and Jewish fascists are patrolling the Jewish sections of the city and are destroying every copy of the Freiheit they are able to obtain. They are also bringing pressure to bear on newsdealers to have them stop handling the Freiheit. These bands of fascists, who in the main, consist of Zionists and members of the socialist party and the young peoples socialist league, also attacked open air meetings arranged by the Communist Party in Jewish sections of the city. They’ start shouting “Murderers of the Jews” and “Supporters of the Arabs” as soon as the meetings open in an attempt to incite other Jews in the neighborhood against the speakers.

Meeting Tonight.

A meeting of all Jewish members of the Communist Party in the New York district will be held at 8 o-clock tonight. Manhattan Lyceum, 66 East Fourth St. to discuss the present situation in Palestine. It has been called by the Jewish Bureau of the Party.

The secretaries and active members of the Jewish Workers Clubs of New York will hold a special meeting at 6:30 o’clock tonight at 108 East 14th St., when the question of events in Palestine and the provocative actions of the Jewish fascists will be taken up.

Call Upon Workers.

A group of members of the Jewish Legion who fought in Pales tine during the last war, and who now realize that they were dupes of British imperialism, issued a statement yesterday urging the Jewish workers of America not to join the new Jewish Legion which is now being recruited here for service in Palestine.

‘Communists Attacked by Socialist-Zionist-Fascists in the Bronx’ from the Daily Worker. Vol. 6 No. 155. September 6, 1929.

BRONX. Incited by provocative articles in the Jewish Daily Forward and Jewish Day, a mob of socialists and Zionists attacked members of the Communist Party and Young Communist League in front of their headquarters, 1330 Wilkins Ave., the Bronx, severely beating up some of them. Sidney Bloomfield was among those seriously assaulted, four stitches were taken in his lip.

The attack followed an open air meeting held by the Communist Party at Invervale and Wilkins Ave., one block from headquarters. The Jewish fascists attempted to break it up, but were not successful. Afterwards the socialist-Zionist mob attacked the committee when they were entering headquarters.

Because William Simons was exposing the imperialist role of the Zionists in Palestine, at an open air meeting last night at 7th St. and Avenue B, arranged by the Communist Party, he was arrested and taken to the East 5th Street police station.

The police did not make arrests until Simons exposed the Zionists and British imperialism. When socialists and Zionists in the crowd objected to what Simons was saying, he was taken into custody.

‘Jewish Fascists Try to Break in Bronx Center’ from the Daily Worker. Vol. 6 No. 157. September 7, 1929.

1,000 Are Repulsed by Militant Workers

BRONX. More than 1,000 boys and young men incited by Zionist and socialist propaganda last night attempted to break into the headquarters of the Bronx Workers Center, 1330 Wilkins Ave., which is used as the headquarters of the Bronx Section of the Communist Party.

Well organized, the young Jewish fascists, first sent 100 as their advance guard, of which 15 to 20 attempted to quickly storm the door and force their way upstairs. Members of the Hungarian Workers Club who were holding a meeting upstairs, barred their way and drove out the intruders.

Realizing that they were not able to enter the building, they quickly sent for reinforcements and within a short time more than 1,000 fascists and young boys whose support they gained on religious grounds, gathered on the sidewalks opposite the headquarters and threw stones and other missiles in the windows. When a policeman several blocks away was told of what was going on, he stated that he was “to busy” to investigate the matter.

‘Zionists, ‘Socialists’, Fascists and Police Attack Communist Press and Meetings’ from The Daily Worker. Vol. 6 No. 158. September 9, 1929.

Workers Rush to Guard “Daily”and Jewish Morning Freiheit–Chicago Office Raided–Police Aid Zionists in Cleveland–Yellow Socialists Aid Jingoists, Fascisti–Lynch Threat by Zionists.

NEW YORK, September 8. -When they saw the strong Workers Guard in front of the Daily Worker, 28 Union Square and the Morning Freiheit, 30 Union Square, a small group of socialists and Zionists who intended to attack the offices of the two newspapers quickly melted away last night.

They were part of those who attended a mass meeting held at Cooper Union, arranged by the United Hebrew Trades. Towards the end of the meeting it was announced from the platform that a demonstration in favor of Zionism and British imperialism would be held in front of the two Communist newspapers, all those present being urged to participate.

However, only a few professional right wing gangsters appeared and when they saw that the workers were ready to resist them slunk into the adjoining streets.

Ready To Defend.

When news of the possible attack on the two working class newspapers reached the working class sections of the city, hundreds of workers hurried to Union Square, from the Bronx, Brownsville and other places to help defend them.

At the meeting a communication was read from William Green, president of the American Federation of Labor, in which he stated that he fully supports the Zionists in their imperialistic policies.

Blames Communists.

A. I. Shiplacoff, manager of the Pocketbook Makers’ Union, who presided at the meeting, devoted a large portion of his speech to denouncing the Communist Party. He said that the Communist Party has incited the Arabs against the Jews in Palestine and is responsible for the fighting there for the last two weeks.

CHICAGO, Sept. 8. —With the American Legion as their ally, the Zionist-fascists and socialists of Chicago attacked the Chicago offices of the Freiheit, Jewish Communist daily, at 3 a.m. Saturday morning, wrecking it. Th« attackers brutally assaulted several workers. The connection of the American Legion with the Zionist fascist was seen in the fact that the Legion had inserted two large advertisements in the Chicago edition of the socialist Forward, hinting at an attack.

As part of the Zionist-fascist-socialist campaign against the Communist Party for its stand against the British imperialists and their lackeys, the Zionists, against whom the oppressed Arabs are in revolt, a campaign of intimidation is being waged. Besides intimidating news dealers into refusing to handle the Freiheit and other Communist papers, the landlord of the building in which the Chicago office of the Freiheit is located has been prevailed on to order the Freiheit to move.

CLEVELAND, Ohio, Sept. 8. Police yesterday broke up an open-air mass meeting of Cleveland workers, who were demonstrating against British imperialist-Zionist attacks on the Arabian masses, who are in rebellion against their oppressors. Five workers were arrested.

Fifteen hundred workers attended the meeting. The local Zionist fascisti attempted to disrupt the meeting, Jewish bourgeois women being especially active, but the solidarity of the workers at the demonstration frustrated their attempts.

The Zionist-fascisti and yellow socialists then resorted to opening a meeting on the other side of thestreet, at 147th St. and Kinsman Ave. One of the Zionist speakers at this meeting was a certain Robins, notorious as an open shopper. Other Zionist speakers were socialists.

Police Aid Zionists.

The police started their attempts to break the workers’ meeting by telling I. Amter, the chairman of the Anti-Zionist meeting that the meeting must end at 10 p.m. As J. Louis Engdahl, of the International Labor Defense, was speaking, the police tried to stop the meeting by kicking out the box which Engdahl was using as a platform. The workers then raised Engdahl on their shoulders.

The police were nonplussed, and then, with clubs drawn, began a brutal assault on the workers. The police clubbed men and women alike, severely injuring many. The workers resisted this brutal attack by the police, and the latter made a second assault.

Sing Rebel Songs.

The workers finally marched down the street singing revolutionary songs. The five arrested are Sadie Van Veen, Betty Gannett, Andrews, Kingston and Bohus. A large group of Young Communists and sympathizers marched to the police station to which the arrested workers were taken and picketed the station.

The meeting demonstrated the united front of police, Zionist fascisti, and reactionary labor misleaders. The splendid response of those who sympathize with the Communist stand against the British imperialists and their flunkeys, the Zionists, and the resistance of the workers to the police showed that that the Cleveland workers will wage a determined fight against the Zionist fascisti.

‘Lynch Threat by Zionists’ from the Daily Worker. Vol. 6 No. 159. September 10, 1929.

Bronx Workers Are Beaten Up.

BRONX. A mob of Jewish fascists attacked several left wing workers in Crotona Park Sunday afternoon because they are opposed to the imperialist role of the Zionists in Palestine. One of the militant workers, L. Brody, was told that the next time they “will lynch him.”

When police saw the fight, not knowing what was going on, arrested one of the fascists named Sam Sliefer, and a left wing worker, Max Rosenblatt. Rosenblatt, who had been attacked several minutes previously, had his baby in his arms when taken into custody.

When Rosenblatt and Sliefer were arraigned in West 54th St. night court before Magistrate Gotlieb, the judge immediately asked which of those arrested was a Zionist supporter and which was opposed to Zionism.

Brody, on the witness stand, was given a severe examination by Gottlieb. He asked him if he is a Communist, whether he reads the Morning Freiheit, also if he is a member of the All-America Anti-Imperialist League. Gottlieb’s attitude showed plainly that he is a staunch supporter of the Zionists and their socialist allies.

Dismiss Charge.

Altho it was proven that Sliefer had led the attack on Brody the charge against him was dismissed. Rosenblatt was also let go, for even with the crudest frame-up methods he could not be guilty of disorderly conduct when he was holding his baby.

The Jewish Daily Forward and the Jewish Day are continuing their provocative campaign against the Daily Worker and Morning Freiheit. The Day publishes a two column editorial denouncing the Daily Worker, and many cartoons. It also republishes a cartoon from the “Daily” which shows the suppression of the Arabian masses by British imperialism and the Jewish fascists.

‘3000 Workers Defend Communist Party Meet’ from the Daily Worker. Vol. 6 No. 159. September 10, 1929.

Broken by Police After Zionist Attack Fails

BROOKLYN. After several hundred Jewish fascists and socialists were unable to break up a Communist Party open air meeting at Stone and Pitkin Ave., Brooklyn, last night which was defended by an iron ring of members of the Workers Guard, the police were called upon to attack the demonstration against British imperialism and its Zionist ally. The meeting was attended by more than 3,000 workers.

The police charged, brutally hit ting left and right. More than a score of workers were severely beaten, one having his head cut open and another left lying unconscious. The police refused him any medical attention. Six workers were arrested including Harold Williams, Negro District Organizer of the Communist Party.

Reign of Terror.

For several hours afterward a reign of terror prevailed in the working class section of Brownsville. The fascists attempted to break up the meeting until 10:45 without success, when they called upon the police for assistance. The worker who was knocked unconscious by the policemen’s clubs is Sam Cohen.

Big Bronx Meeting.

A successful exposure of British imperialism and its Zionist allies took place at a meeting held at Olinville and Allerton Ave., the Bronx, at which more than 1,000 workers demonstrated their solidarity with the Arabian masses in their fight against British imperialism. Police and Zionist fascists last night smashed a Communist Party open air meeting at 10th St. and Second Ave., attended by over 500 workers.

When B. Lewis, a Negro Communist was speaking at the 10th St. and Second Ave. meeting, Jewish fascists and socialists attempted time after time to break up the working class rally. Although they got reinforcements several times, until their numbers were more than 200, they also sent in a call for the police reserves, who with clubs up raised, surrounded the platform where Lewis was speaking. One of the Zionists shouted to the police, “Stop the meeting.” The police, following the orders of the fascists, pushed Lewis off the platform and dispersed the workers.

The Daily Worker began in 1924 and was published in New York City by the Communist Party US and its predecessor organizations. Among the most long-lasting and important left publications in US history, it had a circulation of 35,000 at its peak. The Daily Worker came from The Ohio Socialist, published by the Left Wing-dominated Socialist Party of Ohio in Cleveland from 1917 to November 1919, when it became became The Toiler, paper of the Communist Labor Party. In December 1921 the above-ground Workers Party of America merged the Toiler with the paper Workers Council to found The Worker, which became The Daily Worker beginning January 13, 1924. National and City (New York and environs) editions exist