Early in the week of March 5-12, 1917, the trouble began in the factory
districts. There were bread riots, car stoning, window smashing, and other
such acts, which are more or less common and no one paid much attention to
them. On Thursday, the disturbances spread to other parts of the city and
crowds began to gather on the Nevski, but the throng was orderly and the
police seemed to have little difficulty in keeping it on the move. Friday
the crowd was more bold: it marched up and down the streets, calling for
bread, singing revolutionary songs, and occasionally waving a red flag and
quickly snatching it back again. This, too, did not make much impression
for it is well known that in Russia strikes and disturbances have in view
political as well as economic betterment. Late Friday afternoon, while I
was walking on the Nevski, a company of mounted police and a large number
of Cossacks dashed by on the way to disperse a procession that was coming
towards me. When I came up to the Fontanka Bridge I noticed the crowd was
gathered about the Cossacks; it patted the horses and cheered their riders,
while the police were nowhere in sight. I listened to what was being said
and heard that the police tried to use their whips and swords on the people
and this angered the Cossacks so much that they attacked the police, killed
the captain, and drove them all away.
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