19 April 1968: Valdagno textile strike

On this day, 19 April 1968, while 6,000 textile workers were on strike against redundancies in Valdagno, northern Italy, scabs were sneaked into the factory under police protection. The workers were brutally charged by police leading to them fighting with the 1,000-strong police force, occupying the factory and toppling the bronze statue of the factory’s founder, Count Gaetano Marzotto (an iconic moment, as Count Marzotto had until then had been widely depicted as an enlightened benefactor). 47 workers were arrested. More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9064/valdagno-textile-strikeOur work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History