The Hilo Massacre June 6, 2010

On August 1, 1938, to express their solidarity with striking workers in Honolulu, more than 200 Big Island men and women belonging to different labor unions attempted peacefully to demonstrate against the arrival of a ship from Oahu. They were met by a force of over 70 police officers who tear-gassed, hosed and fired riot guns into the crowd. Fifty of the demonstrators were hospitalized. Based in part on research from labor historian William J. Puette's book 'The Hilo Massacre: Hawaii's Bloody Monday,' Tremaine Tamayose's teleplay, infuses historical events with personal stories of the workers, police and politicians.