08/31/2026
Have you ever heard of the 1914 "Macaroni Riots"in Providence, Rhode Island?
Today in Labor History August 29, 1914: the Macaroni Riots began in Providence Rhode Island, in response to food inflation and price gouging, particularly the local price of pasta, which hit the Italian American community particularly hard, and in response to years of racism and prejudice against them, particularly by the police. The riots of August 29-30 and September 7 caused the equivalent of $643,000 worth of damage (in today’s dollars). Dozens were injured, including 14 by gunshot, and over 50 were arrested. Ultimately, socialist activists succeeded in negotiating a reduction in food prices.
In the years leading up to the riots, many local Italians had joined activist organizations to provide some level of defense and resistance to their oppression, including socialist, anarchist, and communist organizations, as well as the IWW. On September 16, 1912, there was a 2,000-person parade in support of labor organizers who had been arrested during the recent Lawrence textile strike, including Italian IWW organizers Joseph Ettor and Arturo Giovannitti. Police violently attacked marchers, which only increased residents’ mistrust of the police. IWW members also helped organize of the protests of August 29-30 and September 7.
Image: Police patrolling the Federal Hill neighborhood of Providence on August 31, 1914.
