[Fred Nerks]

Furious Blacks threw bricks, rocks, and bottles at White suburban motorists who had to drive through Liberty City to reach a main Miami highway. Also, an apparently peaceful protest, sponsored by the NAACP, failed to produce a speaker. Soon, the discouraged crowd joined in the violence, attacking the Dade County Department of Public Safety headquarters and local White-owned businesses. Miami police and the National Guard restored order with roadblocks and guns. By the time the rioting ceased the following morning, 855 people had been arrested and eighty million dollars worth of property damaged. In the skirmishes between Blacks and White motorists, eight White people and ten African-Americans had died. The catalyst for this event occurred in December 1979.

http://www.aaregistry.com/african_american_history/895/Riot_erupts_in_Liberty_City

[cll]

I thought that was the case. Almost 80's. Glad I'm not losing my long term memory yet.

[JoeSixPack1]

Liberty City went ballistic because the Mariel Boatlift Cubans took center stage at the welfare office in Miami. The motorcycle shooting was just the warm up.

[rhombus]

The catalyst for this event occurred in December 1979.

So what was the "catalyst" that which supposedly triggers such thuggery?

[dljordan]

A joyous expression of cultural diversity.