Boston Police Strike of 1919

In September 1919 roughly three-quarters of Boston's police force walked off the job after attempts to unionize, leading to a breakdown in public order with looting and unrest across the city. Governor Calvin Coolidge called out the Massachusetts State Guard from the State House to restore order, and the striking officers were subsequently dismissed and replaced. The strike and Coolidge's response drew national attention and influenced public debates about public-sector strikes and law enforcement labor rights.