Belgian strike of 1886

The strike or labour revolt was provoked by social inequalities in Belgian society and has compared to the peasant jacqueries of the Middle Ages.

[2] The strike of 1886 originated as a small gathering organised by anarchists in Liège to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Paris Commune on 18 March.

[6] Two leaders of the glassmakers union, blamed for the damage, were defended in court by the future Walloon socialist politician Jules Destrée.

Politically, the strikes led to the emergence of a parliamentary socialist party which aimed to redirect workers' demands away from violence and towards the cause of electoral reform.

Highly publicized, the trial [fr] collapsed when it emerged that the Sûreté Publique had infiltrated the radical group, acting as agents provocateurs.

The Strike (1886) by Robert Koehler , often assumed to depict the 1886 strikes in Belgium [ 1 ]
Soldiers open fire on rioters in Roux after the burning of a factory. An engraving from Le Monde Illustré based on sketches by their correspondent.
Strikers burn the glass factory and château of M. Baudoux at Jumet during the strike, as depicted by Le Monde Illustré