The Louisville Bloody Monday Massacre Remembrance

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Wednesday August 10, 2005 21:09

by NIFC - National Irish Freedom Committtee

nifcmem at optonline dot net

NIFC P.O. Box 771084 Woodside, NY 11377 USA

The NIFC remember the lives lost during a racist anti-immigrant pogrom

A remembrance on the 150th anniversary of one of the deadliest anti-immigrant riots in American history, the Bloody Monday Massacre of August 6, 1855 was held in Louisville Kentucky on Saturday, August 6th, 2005. The instigators of the massacre were the Know Nothings, a Nativist political party who were fearful of losing control of the Louisville City Council. They were driven by an anti-immigrant vitriolic press to attack and slaughter as many as 150 German and Irish immigrants who lived in the poorest sections of Louisville.

THE LOUISVILLE BLOODY MONDAY MASSACRE REMEMBRANCE

Cumann Na Saoirse Naisiunta
National Irish Freedom Committee
www.irishfreedom.net

A remembrance on the 150th anniversary of one of the deadliest anti-immigrant riots in American history, the Bloody Monday Massacre of August 6, 1855 was held in Louisville Kentucky on Saturday, August 6th, 2005. The instigators of the massacre were the Know Nothings, a Nativist political party who were fearful of losing control of the Louisville City Council. They were driven by an anti-immigrant vitriolic press to attack and slaughter as many as 150 German and Irish immigrants who lived in the poorest sections of Louisville.

The remembrance, very well organized by the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the German Club in
Louisville was well attended by a cross section of Louisville residents and participants from other areas including Cincinnati Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

Fionnan Ó Sé of Pittsburgh headed an NIFC delegation that was given a press tour of the historic Bloody Monday sites that were later visited by six busloads as part of the events' program, to mark the tragedy that managed to remained under wraps in Louisville for 150 years.

Gene Noonan, whose family lived in the Portland section of Louisville, close to where the riots occurred was one of the main organizers of the Remembrance. He led the press tour along the route that the fast growing mob followed in their Nativist fueled orgy of destruction that left an undetermined number dead from burning, shootings and hangings
Gene, who was later interviewed by John Mc Donagh on the Radio Free Eireann Show along with Paul Witty, gave an historically researched account of what took place at each site along the original mob route. The horrific events at Quinn's Row, now the home of the Louisville Lottery were described in chilling detail by Gene, who has spent a lifetime researching this tragedy.
It was here that Gene said that the mob closed the roads to Irish enclave, locked the doors shut, set fire to the small houses and shot those trying to escape. Gene showed where the courthouse cannon was obtained by the mob, the Catholic churches that were searched by the mob, the brewery that they tried to burn and where they presumably drank to bolster their ferocity in their quest to cleanse the city of Louisville.

The name of George Prentice whose statue stands outside today's library was often mentioned during the remembrance. Prentice who was editor/publisher of the Journal at that time, has often since been accused of being responsibility for the tragedy.

Although the Remembrance program included a panel discussion of learned people and a Mass at the
Cathedral of the Assumption, there was no one present to represent the state of Kentucky or the US
government to offer an official condemnation or apology. The question persists as to why there has never been an official condemnation and when justice will be served, bringing closure to the community.

When approached after he spoke eloquently of the Bloody Monday massacre and of the tolerance of
today's culturally diverse people, Jerry Abramson, the present mayor of Louisville, indicated that this
matter will be addressed in the future.

There were a number of excellent articles in the Louisville Courier Journal Press prior to the Remembrance, but the best account of the 2005 August 6th Remembrance, appeared in the Cincinnati
Enquirer of Sunday August 7 th, 2005, titled Digging at hatred's roots written by Tony Lang, Enquirer
staff writer

Descendants of the Know Nothing mentality can be found today in many parts of the US as well as in Liverpool, London and of course in Belfast. Just as arson and fire was amongst the weapons of destruction by the sectarian Know Nothing mobs in Louisville, so it was and is the favorite of today's Klu Klux Klan and continues to be prominent in the intimidation techniques of the legal Orange hordes in the six British occupied counties of Ireland.

Photos of event on NIFC website:

Cumann Na Saoirse Naisiunta
National Irish Freedom Committee
www.irishfreedom.net

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The Louisville Bloody Monday Massacre Remembrance