Grant the Freedom of the City of Glasgow to The Calton Weavers
The Issue
240 Years of Injustice is Enough: Grant the Freedom of the City of Glasgow to The Calton Weavers
On 3 September 1787, striking weavers marched through Glasgow to protest a 25% cut in their wages. The British Army’s 39th Regiment of Foot fired on the demonstration, killing six individuals.
The Calton Weavers are Scotland’s first working-class martyrs.
The Glasgow authorities responded to the killings by awarding the Freedom of the City to the military officers who ordered the soldiers to shoot.
Despite the importance of this event, the memorial stones to the weavers located in Calton Burial Ground are in a state of chronic disrepair.
The weavers suffered a great injustice in life, and in death.
We support the efforts of the Calton Weavers Commemoration Committee who have been campaigning to raise awareness of the weavers, and that they be remembered in an appropriate manner.
As 2027 marks the 240th anniversary of the massacre, the city authorities must address this historic injustice.
We the undersigned call on Glasgow City Council to:
- Formally and publicly disassociate the modern City of Glasgow from the historic civic honours bestowed upon the military officers who ordered the 1787 massacre.
- Revoke all civic honours granted to these officers.
- Bestow the Freedom of the City (or the highest possible level of posthumous civic recognition) upon The Calton Weavers to officially amend the historical record.
We are gathering 1787 signatures to force a council debate before the 240th anniversary in 2027, ensuring Scotland’s working-class martyrs are properly commemorated.
This petition is soundtracked by Glasgow's radical past. Below, you can watch the video for 'The Broken Stones of The Calton Weavers', a musical cry against the centuries of civic neglect and a call to right this historical wrong.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYbGVM4cyts
E-mail: info@tenementals
158
The Issue
240 Years of Injustice is Enough: Grant the Freedom of the City of Glasgow to The Calton Weavers
On 3 September 1787, striking weavers marched through Glasgow to protest a 25% cut in their wages. The British Army’s 39th Regiment of Foot fired on the demonstration, killing six individuals.
The Calton Weavers are Scotland’s first working-class martyrs.
The Glasgow authorities responded to the killings by awarding the Freedom of the City to the military officers who ordered the soldiers to shoot.
Despite the importance of this event, the memorial stones to the weavers located in Calton Burial Ground are in a state of chronic disrepair.
The weavers suffered a great injustice in life, and in death.
We support the efforts of the Calton Weavers Commemoration Committee who have been campaigning to raise awareness of the weavers, and that they be remembered in an appropriate manner.
As 2027 marks the 240th anniversary of the massacre, the city authorities must address this historic injustice.
We the undersigned call on Glasgow City Council to:
- Formally and publicly disassociate the modern City of Glasgow from the historic civic honours bestowed upon the military officers who ordered the 1787 massacre.
- Revoke all civic honours granted to these officers.
- Bestow the Freedom of the City (or the highest possible level of posthumous civic recognition) upon The Calton Weavers to officially amend the historical record.
We are gathering 1787 signatures to force a council debate before the 240th anniversary in 2027, ensuring Scotland’s working-class martyrs are properly commemorated.
This petition is soundtracked by Glasgow's radical past. Below, you can watch the video for 'The Broken Stones of The Calton Weavers', a musical cry against the centuries of civic neglect and a call to right this historical wrong.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYbGVM4cyts
E-mail: info@tenementals
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on 31 August 2026