San Diego free speech fight facts for kids

The San Diego free speech fight happened in San Diego, California, in 1912. It was a famous disagreement about the right to free speech for labor unions. This event was part of many similar protests called free speech fights by the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) across North America.

The main reason for the San Diego fight was a new rule, Ordinance No. 4623. This rule stopped all public speaking in an area downtown, including a place called "soapbox row" where people gave speeches. There were many clashes with the police, leading to riots. Some people, including police officers, died. Also, some important Socialists, like Emma Goldman's manager Ben Reitman, were kidnapped and badly treated. After this fight, a neighborhood called Stingaree was torn down, and San Diego's Chinatown was also destroyed.

Why People Fought for Free Speech

At the start of the 1900s, workers and their employers often disagreed. Workers wanted better conditions and pay. Sometimes, these disagreements led to strong protests, like the Haymarket Riot in Chicago. In the western United States, a union called the Western Federation of Miners (WFM) was very active. Many towns tried to stop unions from spreading their ideas. They did this by limiting rights given by the United States Constitution, especially the freedom of speech from the First Amendment.

The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

In 1905, the WFM and other unions, along with socialist and anarchist groups, formed the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). This group was also known as the "Wobblies." Their goal was to unite all working people around the world. They wanted to include everyone, no matter their race, religion, gender, or background. The Wobblies wanted workers to have more control over their jobs and share in the profits, instead of just earning wages.

The Wobblies often used creative ways to protest. This included giving speeches on "soapboxes" and fighting for free speech. IWW speakers talked to workers about unfair bosses and problems with capitalism. Because they challenged powerful businesses, IWW members often faced unfair treatment. In many American cities, police or other groups tried to stop their public speeches.

In 1910, the IWW tried to organize Mexican workers in San Diego. They had a successful strike, but many workers left to join the Mexican Revolution. This caused the new union to break up.

The Rule Against Free Speech

The free speech fight officially began on January 8, 1912. The San Diego Common Council passed a new rule, Ordinance No. 4623. This rule created a large restricted zone in the middle of San Diego. This zone included "soapbox row," where people usually gave speeches.

The council said the rule was needed to keep public peace and safety. They argued that the speeches blocked traffic. The punishment for breaking the rule was a fine of $25 to $100, or up to 30 days in jail. Before the rule passed, the Wobblies and other groups asked for unrestricted free speech. But their request was ignored.

The council waited a bit before making their final decision. They might have wanted to see if most San Diegans supported the rule. Some council members even thought that a public vote would show that people wanted to speak freely anywhere.

The council finally passed the rule on January 6, 1912. That evening, Socialists were holding a speech event. An off-duty police officer drove his car into the crowd. He honked his horn to disrupt the speakers. People in the crowd surrounded his car and slashed its tires. The police stepped in. Two days later, the council passed the rule with an emergency clause. This meant it went into effect right away, without the usual 20-day waiting period.

The Germania Hall Incident

On November 10, 1910, a local IWW group planned a meeting. They wanted to remember the workers who died in the Chicago Haymarket Riot. But the police closed down their meeting place, Germania Hall, before the event.

In response, the IWW took their protests to the streets. They started their "soapbox" free speech campaign. Wobblies who spoke in public were arrested. They were fingerprinted, photographed in jail, and then released.

After the Germania Hall incident, the IWW focused on giving speeches to win over more workers. About 50 IWW members started speaking at Heller's Corner, in the center of the Stingaree neighborhood. The Stingaree was a diverse area with many different ethnic groups and working-class people. It was a place where many different "soapbox orators" spoke, including the Salvation Army and Socialists. Things were mostly peaceful until after the Germania Hall incident.

Jail Conditions and Protests

More and more arrests quickly filled San Diego's jails. Conditions in the prisons became very bad, making the Wobblies even angrier. Reports about jail conditions were different, but it seemed that those arrested for free speech were treated poorly. The jails filled so fast that police used their "tanks" (holding cells) for inmates. These tanks had no beds, and people had to sleep on dirty concrete floors.

The Free Speech League had a plan to "glut the jails." This meant filling the jails so much that the legal system would stop working. The IWW liked this idea. They asked 20,000 Wobblies to come to San Diego to help stop the system. Even though there were only 50 local IWW members in 1912, about 5,000 Wobblies came to San Diego.

The District Attorney offered a deal. He said he would free the arrested men if the IWW stopped speaking in the restricted zone. The IWW refused the offer. So, the arrests continued. The IWW then protested the arrests and jail conditions outside the city jail. Five thousand protesters showed up. The police used fire hoses on the crowd, hitting women and children.

Vigilantes

With so many arrests, Police Chief Keno Wilson had a problem. He wanted to punish the protesters, but the jails were too full. Local newspapers started writing strongly against the protesters. Then, groups of vigilantes appeared. These groups would take arrested Wobblies and speakers to the county line and leave them there.

The vigilantes also patrolled trains coming from the north. They would grab Wobblies and speakers before they could reach the city. These incidents happened often, but most middle-class citizens in San Diego did not protest.

Finally, the state of California got involved. Governor Hiram Johnson received many requests to investigate the arrests and vigilante actions. Governor Johnson sent Colonel Weinstock to investigate. Weinstock seemed fair. He decided that the arrests and speech limits were against the law. However, he also thought the Wobblies were wrong to be so active. Weinstock said the situation was like Czarist Russia. He suggested the Attorney General take action, but nothing happened.

Weinstock's presence stopped the violence for a short time. But the situation got bad again on May 7. A Wobbly named Joseph Mikolash was killed by police at the IWW headquarters in San Diego. The Wobblies reportedly used guns against the police in this incident. Police found a small collection of weapons at the IWW headquarters. This made the public even more against the IWW and Weinstock's report, which had supported the Wobblies' right to free speech.

Emma Goldman and Ben Reitman

Emma Goldman and Ben Reitman came to San Diego for Goldman to give a speech on May 15, 1912. The Mayor of San Diego, James E. Wadham, warned them but offered no help. Vigilantes kidnapped Reitman from his hotel room and badly treated him.

The police forced Goldman to leave for Los Angeles before she could give her speech.

By the fall of 1912, the "soapbox row" was empty. In fact, the entire neighborhood of Stingaree was torn down. Goldman and Reitman tried to return in 1913. But police arrested them and sent them away. Goldman did not succeed in giving another speech in San Diego until June 1915.

Legacy of the Fight

In Song

The IWW's Little Red Songbook from July 11, 1912, included a song about the fight. Here is the first part of "We're Bound For San Diego":

In that town called San Diego when the workers try to talk,
The cops will smash them with a sap and tell them "take a walk",
They throw them in a bull pen and they feed them rotten beans,
And they call that "law and order" in that city, so it seems.

100th Anniversary

On January 6, 2012, protesters from Occupy San Diego remembered the 1912 free speech fight. They used soapboxes as props to protest a new law in 2012. This was part of observing the 100th anniversary of the San Diego free speech fight.

On January 8, Ben Reitman's great-granddaughter took part in a special event at 5th and E Streets.

On February 7, the San Diego City Council made a statement. They said they were "deeply dismayed" by the actions of the council 100 years ago. They formally said they rejected the old rule. This statement was given to groups like the ACLU. However, members of Occupy San Diego reminded everyone that a similar city rule was still being used to arrest peaceful protesters.

Through February 12, an art show about California labor history was held. It was at the Centro Cultural de la Raza in Balboa Park.

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