About this episode

This episode discusses the spontaneous general strike in São Paulo on July 13, 1917, triggered by the police killing of a shoemaker.

On this day, 13 July 1917, thousands of workers joined a spontaneous strike in São Paulo following the police killing of a 21-year-old shoemaker, José (or Antonio) Martínez, at a demonstration against the high cost of living two days previously. The stoppage soon became a general strike, and workers could only be persuaded to return to work three days later after being given a 10% pay increase. More information and sources: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/8481/s%C3%A3o-paulo-general-strike The strike wave at this time is commemorated by this T-shirt of the Month, made by a workers' co-operative and supporting grassroots unions in South Asia: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/products/t-shirt-of-the-month0523 Our 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/today Browse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/date Check…

More episodes of On This Day in Working Class History

• 21 July 1945: Dublin laundry strike · July 21, 2026 · 1 min
• 20 July 1979: Leonard Peltier escapes · July 20, 2026 · 2 min
• 19 July 1984: Dunnes store strike · July 19, 2026 · 1 min
• 16 July 2015: Nunavut power strike · July 16, 2026 · 1 min
• 15 July 1966: Colour bar scrapped · July 15, 2026 · 1 min
• 14 July 1966: Fort Hood Three · July 14, 2026 · 1 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the On This Day in Working Class History podcast page.