200 years on: the lessons of Peterloo

Speaking at a day school in Manchester earlier this year, Josh Holroyd of Socialist Appeal discusses the events surrounding the Peterloo massacre of 16th August 1819, when thousands of protestors demanding political rights were brutally repressed by local representatives of the ruling class. As Josh explains, the Peterloo massacre marked a turning point for the working class in England. In the years that followed, powerful trade unions were forged in order to fight back against the attacks of the capitalists. And within decades, mass political movements such as the Chartists were on the rise, striking fear into the hearts of the bourgeoisie. 200 years on, we stand on the shoulders of giants as we attempt to build on these revolutionary traditions - fighting for socialism in Britain and internationally.