On Monday 10th April 1848 the Chartists held a meeting for the vote on Kennington Common. At least 100,000 attended. 1848 was a year of revolution in Europe. The police and military mobilised to make sure the Chartists didn’t reach Parliament.
On Monday 12th June at Bishop Bonners Fields in East London the Chartists rallied again. The State took it just as seriously. Over 4,300 police were mobilised with the military in reserve.
Why Mondays? In 1848 Monday was an informal part of a two day weekend with Sunday. Not perhaps in the factories and mills of the North but London was largely still small scale craft production.
Hence in 1848 the Chartists did like Mondays and the Government didn’t
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