History Of Tubal Butler

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Tubal Uriah Buzz Butler (1895-1977) Labor leader and politician. He was born in Grenada and as a young man he enlisted for the front during World War I. After the war was over, he returned to Grenada for a while, then in January, 1921 he moved to Trinidad. Uriah Butler became a strong supporter of the pro-worker efforts then being made by the former captain of the British West India Regiment, Arthur Andrew Cipriani and joined the La Brea branch of Captain Cipriani's Trinidad Labour Party. But he became increasingly dissatisfied with what he regarded as Cipriani's "gentle" approach, and living as he did in the oilbelt at Fyzabad, he began serious agitation for the rights of oil workers. His confrontation with oil employers grew until in 1935 he led a hunger march at Apex oilfields, Fyzabad, aimed at getting better conditions for the oilfield workers. Now, having frequent disagreements with Captain Cipriani, whom he accused of "somersaulting and back pedaling," he resigned from the Trinidad Labour Party. This was in July 1936, and in that same month he formed the British Empire Workers' and Citizens' Home Rule Party. His agitation became more and more militant, and in May 1937, because of the alleged contents of a speech he had made to workers at Fyzabad, he was arrested and charged with inciting to riot and with sedition. He was summoned for June 14 but failed to appear, and a few days later, June 19, 1937, police tried to arrest him while he was making a speech to workers at Fyzabad, his followers resisted his arrest, and bloody riots broke out. A police inspector was fatally shot, and a corporal was burned to death. What followed those riot known as the Butler Riots, or Oilfeild Riots, was widespread social unrest, especially in the oil areas. Butler, who was sought frantically by the police, went into hiding after the turmoil but gave himself up on
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