Syndicalist Defense Committee (1915)

The Syndicalist Defense Committee (SDC) was an organization formed in 1915 in the United States to provide legal and financial support to Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) members and other radicals who were facing prosecution for their labor activism and anti-war activities.

The Committee's formation was directly related to the increasing repression faced by the IWW during World War I. The IWW's anti-war stance and its advocacy for direct action and industrial unionism made it a target of government surveillance and legal action. Many IWW members were arrested on charges ranging from sabotage and conspiracy to sedition and draft resistance.

The SDC was primarily concerned with raising funds to pay for legal representation, bail, and other expenses associated with defending IWW members in court. It organized fundraising events, solicited donations from supporters, and worked to publicize the plight of imprisoned Wobblies. Prominent figures involved with the SDC included Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Carlo Tresca, and Arturo Giovannitti, all well-known activists in the labor and socialist movements.

The Committee's work was crucial in providing support to IWW members during a period of intense persecution. While it did not always succeed in winning acquittals, the SDC played a significant role in raising awareness about the repression of labor radicals and providing a safety net for those who were targeted by the government and employers. The SDC’s activity diminished after the major post-war Palmer Raids and the decline of the IWW in the 1920s.