Final answer:
The Haymarket Affair illustrated how the government and police were viewed as protecting business interests over labor rights, influenced public opinion against the labor movement, and resulted in a crackdown on labor organizations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Haymarket Affair of 1886 exemplifies the complex roles that government forces can play in labor disputes. The incident occurred during a rally for the eight-hour workday, which turned violent after a bomb exploded among protesters and police in Chicago's Haymarket Square. The subsequent shooting of labor demonstrators and the execution of rally organizers, who were associated with anarchist groups but not proven to be responsible for the violence, demonstrated how government authorities and the police were perceived to protect the interests of large firms at the expense of workers' rights. Newspapers at the time, such as Harper's Weekly, depicted the event as an 'Anarchist Riot' and law enforcement as victims of attacks, further influencing public opinion against the labor movement. This led to a decline in membership of radical labor unions like the Knights of Labor and fostered a negative association between labor activism and radical political movements.