Multivocal Narratives of a Nonviolent Campaign in the May 1936 Thessaloniki Events: Class, Ethnic, and Gender Dynamics

Interwar Greece, whose political schism had deeply divided society, witnessed a remarkable display of national unity in Thessaloniki through the solidarity movement of May 1936. A labor dispute involving tobacco workers sparked a series of nonviolent protests, strikes, and demonstrations. Facing the regime's brutal suppression — including 12 fatalities and around 30 severe casualties — the workers' cause garnered widespread support across social classes, within and beyond the working-class community. However, despite this support, the movement was ultimately quashed by the Metaxas pre-Fourth of August government and failed to achieve its objectives. To date, analyses of the May events in Thessaloniki have predominantly focused on the perspective of Greek male labor activists, examining their successes and failures. This research offers an alternative narrative by exploring the viewpoints of Jewish male and female activists within the Salonikian labor movement. It integrates their gender, ethnic, and cultural interpretations within an innovative theoretical model of civil nonviolent resistance. By blending theoretical elements with primary contemporaneous Greek and Ladino sources, this study not only challenges the prevailing Greek-centric narrative but also illuminates the specific roles and contributions of minority groups during the May events, from the ethnic and gender perspectives.