Bloody Thursday in San Francisco was July 5, 1934, when police shot into a waterfront labor protest during the 1934 longshore strike, killing workers and triggering the San Francisco General Strike.

Why it’s on a Sunday

If you’re seeing it listed on a Sunday, that’s usually because the event is being observed or commemorated on a Sunday, not because the original “Bloody Thursday” happened on that day.

What happened

  • The 1934 waterfront strike was part of a broader labor fight over wages, hours, and union recognition.
  • On July 5, police fired into crowds of striking workers near Mission and Steuart Streets.
  • The deaths of Howard Sperry and Nick Bordoise helped spark a citywide general strike.

Why the date matters

The name “Bloody Thursday” refers specifically to Thursday, July 5, 1934.

So if a page or post shows it on Sunday, that’s almost certainly a scheduling or calendar issue, or a memorial event date rather than the historical date.

Simple version

It was a violent labor clash in 1934, and the “Thursday” is part of the historic name.

A Sunday listing does not change the actual day the event happened.

TL;DR: Bloody Thursday in SF was the July 5, 1934 waterfront shooting and labor crisis; the “Sunday” version is almost certainly a commemoration or posting date, not the original event date.