Replies

The White Night Riot - San Francisco's Castro district

http://thecastro.net/milk/whitenight.html

On May 21, 1979. ex-cop, ex-fireman, ex-supervisor of San Francisco, Dan White was found guilty of manslaughter for the murder of Mayor George Moscone and Gay Supervisor Harvey Milk. White was given a 7-year sentence (in truth, 4 years) for killing two of our leaders. The entire city was in shock. As evening approached, a crowd gathered at Castro and Market. We were angry. We wanted the world to know we were angry...

At some point after the crowd thinned, the police were unleashed, and heads began to roll. Battles erupted everywhere and many fought back valiantly. Tree limbs and parking meters and pieces of asphalt were used as weapons. These were not limp-wristed fairies. These were real men fighting for what they believed in. Police suffered nearly as many casualties as the resistance. The people were eventually driven from the Civic Center and the slower ones suffered the wrath of the overzealous officers. They pushed people down to Market Street where many store windows had already been broken by rioting vandals.

[Snip]

WE WERE AT WAR WITH THE POLICE! People came from every direction to join the resistance and we moved the invading forces right back up to the corner. They appeared to be leaving but they somehow regrouped at the corner of 18th and Castro. We stood and watched as they marched into the Elephant Walk, smashing windows, doors, tables, chairs, bottles, and peoples' heads. Some victims needed to be hospitalized. These police were vicious. They were very unprofessional. They were out for blood.