The events of May were but the culmination of a whole series of provocations on the part of the bourgeois democratic forces against the workers. The following list of provocations compiled since October 24, 1936, might be of interest to the reader in understanding the events of May 1937.
October 24th—The generality of Catalonia decrees compensation to former owners of collectivized industry held by workers.
November 30th—From now on the policy is adopted in the official press of the Generality, not to mention meetings of the POUM while mentioning others.
December—Catalonian government reorganized without the POUM representative, who is dropped from the government.
January 7th—Councillor of Supplies in the Catalonian government dissolves workers supplies committees.
January—Weekly organ of POUM in Madrid permanently suspended by the Madrid Defence Committee.
February 7th—Colonel Vilaba reinstated by government over protests and arrests of Anarchists betrays and abandons defence of Malaga.
February 10th—Madrid Defence Junta seizes POUM radio of Madrid. Also suspends El Combatiente Rojo of Madrid POUM and seizes press.
February 15th—Valencia government orders collection of all heavy arms from workers and all light arms not held by permission.
February—Series of decrees of financial nature designed to restrict activities.
February 17th—POUM Public Order Commissioner of Lerida displayed by Councillor of Catalonia in favor of bourgeois representative.
February 19th—Red aid of POUM excluded from permanent committee of Aid for Madrid.
February 29th—Valencia government orders all customs officers to refrain from joining political parties or trade unions or to attend their meetings or to have any relations whatever with them.
February 26th—Generality forbids public meeting in city of Catalonia although all preparations made by CNT-FAI-POUM.
February 27th—Nuestros, FAI publication of Valencia suspended indefinitely for publishing articles against minister of war.
March 1st—Generality of Catalonia decrees reorganization of department of Public Order abolishing Workers Patrol Controls and consolidating bourgeois influence, doing with the Guards what they did with the Carbinners with careful selection of men and officers.
March 1st—POUM sanitarium Peorola of the Red Aid seized at Alp Gerena province.
March 4th—Colonel of Karl Marx Division steals 12 tanks from warehouse using false papers and hides them in Voreshilev barracks controlled by PSUC.
March 8th—Council of Generality fines La Batalla 5,000 pesetas for not working in accord with the regulations of the censorship
March 12th—Valencia government orders workers parties and organizations to collect large and small arms from their members and to surrender them within 48 hours.
March 15th—Councillor of Public Order of the Generality suppresses certain workers patrol controls in outlying districts of Barcelona. At the same time Generality suspends La Batalla for four days for overstepping the bounds of the censorship in the political articles written.
March—Juventud Rojo, organ of the JCI, Political Youth of POUM of the Lavante submitted to severe political censorship.
March—La Natercha, organ of the JCI of Madrid refused authorization to reappear by Madrid Defence Junta on the grounds that “JCI needs no press.”
March—Generality refuses use of Generality Radio for POUM meetings for the first time.
March 21st—Protracted attempts in the Generality to wear down militants in the course of forming new government.
March 25th—Basque government seizes press of CNT Del Norte at Bilbao which is then given to Basque Communist Party. Paper is suspended and editorial staff as well as regional committee of CNT are arrested.
March—Assassination of CNT leaders in Albacata and other cities of Castilla. Imprisonment of Mauette, CNT leader, at Alemeria. Continued sabotage of Aragon front deprived of arms and munitions by Valencia government.
April 7th—National Republican Guards shoot tramway worker in Barcelona during administration of Guard forces.
April 8th—Catalan parliamentary depuation holds meeting during long governmental crisis although parliament considered dead long time.
April 9th—POUM Radio closed permanently in Madrid.
April—POUM Radio of Barcelona and Spain excluded from M… week.
April 11th—18th Suppression of certain issues of Anarchist papers CNT of Madrid and Castilla Libra.
April 16th—Military censor at Valencia again suspends Nosotros.
April 17th—National Republican Guard in Catalonia begins to disarm workers.
April—During protracted governmental crisis First Councillor Taradelhs decrees annulment of control of workers over official college of customs agents and commissioners which was monopoly of custom officers given to commercial organizations during monarchy.
April 17th—Carabinners of Customs to Pigcards to take control of customs from Anarchists. Few days later Anarchist leader shot when he went there to arrange settlement.
April—Civil Guards sent to Figueras and other towns to wrest control from workers organizations strong there.
April—Police agents try to bribe POUM employees to steal POUM documents
April— Funeral of Rolando turned into demonstration with public forces compeated to attend. 300 workers disarmed by police in Barcelona during last week of April. Workers prevented from celebrating May Day by government orders and joint meeting of JOI-Anarchist youth suspended.