The+White+Night+Riots+of+1979



The White Night riots were a series of violent events sparked by an announcement of the lenient sentencing of Dan White, for the assassinations of San Fransisco Mayor George Moscone and Harvey Milk, a San Francisco supervisor. The events took place on the night of May 21, 1979 in San Francisco. Earlier that day, White had been convicted of voluntary manslaughter, the lightest possible conviction for his actions. The gay community of San Francisco had a long-standing conflict with the San Francisco Police Department. White's status as a former policeman intensified the community's anger at the SFPD. Initial demonstrations took place as a peaceful march through the Castro district of San Francisco. After the crowd arrived at the San Francisco City Hall, it quickly became violent.

The events caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damage to City Hall and the surrounding area, as well as injuries to both police officers and rioters. Several hours after the riot had been broken up, police made a retaliatory raid on a gay bar in San Francisco's Castro District. Many patrons were beaten by police in riot gear. Two dozen arrests were made during the course of the raid, and several lawsuits were later filed against the SFPD. In the following days, gay leaders refused to apologize for the events of that night. This show of strength from the gay community led to increased political power, which culminated in the re-election of Mayor Dianne Feinstein the following November. In response to a campaign promise, Feinstein appointed a pro-gay Chief of Police, which increased recruitment of gays in the police force and eased tensions. This community had a long history of conflict with the San Francisco Police Department. Following World War II, gay bars were subject to frequent raids and attempts by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to revoke their alcohol licenses. They were accused of serving alcohol to homosexuals—a criminal act at the time. The growing political and economic power of the city's gay community conflicted with the established but dwindling numbers of the conservative institutions, such as the police and fire departments. By 1971, police were arresting an average of 2,800 men per year on public sex charges; by contrast sixty-three such arrests were made in New York City although up to a quarter of San Francisco was reported to be gay at the time. Many charges were dismissed due to entrapment, but several men were given harsh sentences. When Dan White was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, his successful diminished capacity defense enraged the gay community. That the police and fire department had raised money for his defense gave their anger a focus, turning it against the city government and especially the SFPD.