Haymarket Affair trials

The Haymarket Affair trials refer to the legal cases following a 1886 bombing during a labor rally in Chicago's Haymarket Square. Police opened fire after the explosion, killing officers and civilians. Eight anarchists were accused of conspiracy; despite limited evidence linking them directly to the bombing, seven were convicted and sentenced to death or imprisonment. The trials are seen as unjust, highlighting fears of radicalism and undermining workers' rights, and they became a symbol of injustice against labor activists in American history.