A post-WWI labour riot in Glasgow that prompted the British government to deploy tanks against its own citizens amid fears of a Bolshevik-style uprising.
Key Facts
- Date
- 31 January 1919
- Also known as
- Bloody Friday / Black Friday
- Tanks deployed
- 6 tanks
- Police fatality
- 1 constable died months later from injuries
- Outcome for leaders
- Strike leaders arrested for inciting riot
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Shortly after the end of the First World War, labour tensions in Glasgow intensified as workers organised a general strike demanding reduced working hours. The strike drew large crowds to George Square and heightened government fears of a revolutionary movement inspired by the Bolshevik uprising in Russia.
On 31 January 1919, City of Glasgow Police clashed with striking workers gathered in George Square. The Sheriff of Lanarkshire requested military assistance, and the government deployed troops and six tanks to strategic points across the city, though soldiers did not directly engage the rioters.
The strike leaders were arrested and charged with inciting the riot, effectively suppressing the immediate labour action. One police constable later died from injuries sustained during the confrontation. The event became a landmark moment in Scottish labour history and in the British government's response to post-war industrial unrest.
Political Outcome
Strike suppressed; leaders arrested for inciting riot; military deployed but did not engage rioters directly.
Striking workers held mass demonstration demanding reduced working hours
Government and police reasserted control; strike leadership imprisoned