From February 4 to 7, 1923, over 30,000 workers along the Beijing-Hankou Railway held a general strike under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, historically known as the "February 7th Strike."
Strike Background:
The Beijing-Hankou Railway was an important transportation artery in China at that time. Railway workers suffered long-term oppression and exploitation. In the second half of 1922, with the development of the northern workers' movement, preparations for the Beijing-Hankou Railway General Union accelerated.
Inaugural Meeting Obstructed:
On February 1, 1923, the Beijing-Hankou Railway General Union held its inaugural meeting at Zhengzhou Puleyuan Theater, but was violently prevented by warlord Wu Peifu. Military police occupied the venue and destroyed the union plaque. Facing this violence, the union decided to hold a general strike.
Strike Eruption:
On the morning of February 4, Lin Xiangqian, chairman of the Jiang'an Branch of the Beijing-Hankou Railway General Union, received the strike order and immediately sounded the whistle. Within 3 hours, the 1,200-kilometer Beijing-Hankou Railway was paralyzed, with over 12,000 workers participating.
Suppression:
On February 7, Wu Peifu mobilized over 20,000 military police to implement "martial law" along the railway. In Jiang'an, Changxindian, Zhengzhou, and other places, military police brutally suppressed the workers.
Historical Significance:
The February 7th Strike was the peak of the first climax of the Chinese workers' movement led by the Communist Party of China in its early days, demonstrating the fighting spirit of the Chinese working class.
Commemoration:
To commemorate the victims of the February 7th Incident, the February 7th Memorial Hall was established in Wuhan after the founding of New China.
1923