White Night Riot: A Policeman's View - Revision history

Ccarlsson: deleted video code for banned videos

2024-09-14T04:41:14Z

deleted video code for banned videos

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:41, 13 September 2024
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	The string of incidents leading to what came to be called the [[White Night Riot: May 21, 1979\|White Night Riot]] can reasonably be traced to events [[Kool-Aid & Twinkies\|six months earlier]]. In November 1978, the city was shaken to its psychic roots when San Francisco-based Jim Jones led his People’s Temple followers in a mass suicide in Guyana. And when a few days later, on November 27, ex-Supervisor Dan White sneaked into City Hall and summarily executed Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, it was almost more than the civic psyche could absorb. At first, though, the city seemed to come together in its grief. That night, more than 25,000 candle-bearing mourners formed up in the Castro, then made their way peaceably down Market Street to City Hall.		The string of incidents leading to what came to be called the [[White Night Riot: May 21, 1979\|White Night Riot]] can reasonably be traced to events [[Kool-Aid & Twinkies\|six months earlier]]. In November 1978, the city was shaken to its psychic roots when San Francisco-based Jim Jones led his People’s Temple followers in a mass suicide in Guyana. And when a few days later, on November 27, ex-Supervisor Dan White sneaked into City Hall and summarily executed Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, it was almost more than the civic psyche could absorb. At first, though, the city seemed to come together in its grief. That night, more than 25,000 candle-bearing mourners formed up in the Castro, then made their way peaceably down Market Street to City Hall.

	~~<iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/ssfHarveym1" width="640" height="480" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" allowfullscreen></iframe>~~

	~~'''Harvey Milk's Last Words'''~~

	There they were greeted by the familiar voice of Joan Baez and the strains of “Amazing Grace.” Acting Mayor [[Mayor Dianne Feinstein\|Dianne Feinstein]] addressed the group over pre-positioned loudspeakers, as did other civic leaders, including Harry Britt, Milk’s political protégé. Harvey’s recorded voice, taped three weeks earlier on the defeat of the Briggs amendment which would have prohibited gays from teaching in public schools, was broadcast to the assembled throng. The proceedings closed at 11:30 p.m. with a Felix Mendelssohn hymn sung by the Gay Men’s Choir.		There they were greeted by the familiar voice of Joan Baez and the strains of “Amazing Grace.” Acting Mayor [[Mayor Dianne Feinstein\|Dianne Feinstein]] addressed the group over pre-positioned loudspeakers, as did other civic leaders, including Harry Britt, Milk’s political protégé. Harvey’s recorded voice, taped three weeks earlier on the defeat of the Briggs amendment which would have prohibited gays from teaching in public schools, was broadcast to the assembled throng. The proceedings closed at 11:30 p.m. with a Felix Mendelssohn hymn sung by the Gay Men’s Choir.
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	Lighted candles, first a few and then more and more, began to appear among the crowd. Who, I wondered, brings candles to a riot? Supervisor Silver, a sympathetic figure to those below, began to speak. The crowd applauded respectfully. For a time peace held the upper hand. In the end, the bullhorn was too feeble to be heard below, and the lighter became too warm to hold alight. The rock throwing resumed. The violence built until almost 11 p.m., when several police cars parked along McAllister Street were set afire by rioters. It was only then that we swept Civic Center Plaza and chased rioters as they trashed shop windows on Market Street and in the surrounding area.		Lighted candles, first a few and then more and more, began to appear among the crowd. Who, I wondered, brings candles to a riot? Supervisor Silver, a sympathetic figure to those below, began to speak. The crowd applauded respectfully. For a time peace held the upper hand. In the end, the bullhorn was too feeble to be heard below, and the lighter became too warm to hold alight. The rock throwing resumed. The violence built until almost 11 p.m., when several police cars parked along McAllister Street were set afire by rioters. It was only then that we swept Civic Center Plaza and chased rioters as they trashed shop windows on Market Street and in the surrounding area.

	~~<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/V_mvk4istzo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>~~


	Early May 22, a squad of police officers entered the Elephant Walk bar at 18th and Castro and routed the patrons in what many saw as a retaliatory “police riot.” The events of the night were capped by a police withdrawal from the Castro, dubbed “Mullen’s Retreat” in my honor by officers who would have preferred a different outcome.		Early May 22, a squad of police officers entered the Elephant Walk bar at 18th and Castro and routed the patrons in what many saw as a retaliatory “police riot.” The events of the night were capped by a police withdrawal from the Castro, dubbed “Mullen’s Retreat” in my honor by officers who would have preferred a different outcome.
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	The White Night Riot has evolved into one of the founding legends of modern gay San Francisco—sort of a West Coast version of New York’s Stonewall riot. If Harvey Milk’s assassination was the Boston Massacre, White Night was Concord Bridge. Much of the after-action criticism centered on tactics and timing as the reasons for what went wrong. Some said we moved against the crowd too late, unnecessarily endangering officers who were forced to stand in formation in front of the rock-throwing mob. Others complained that when we did move, officers used excessive force. There could be no way of reconciling the views of those at opposite ends of the opinion spectrum.		The White Night Riot has evolved into one of the founding legends of modern gay San Francisco—sort of a West Coast version of New York’s Stonewall riot. If Harvey Milk’s assassination was the Boston Massacre, White Night was Concord Bridge. Much of the after-action criticism centered on tactics and timing as the reasons for what went wrong. Some said we moved against the crowd too late, unnecessarily endangering officers who were forced to stand in formation in front of the rock-throwing mob. Others complained that when we did move, officers used excessive force. There could be no way of reconciling the views of those at opposite ends of the opinion spectrum.

	Still, tactics and timing aside, the tensions that characterized events in the late 1970s ~~– from~~ the Guyana mass suicide to the White Night Riot—can be viewed in a broader sense as the inevitable eruption in a long-simmering conflict between the San Francisco that had been, and city that was about to be—the death throes of the old San Francisco, you might say, amid the birthing pains of the new.		Still, tactics and timing aside, the tensions that characterized events in the late 1970s –from the Guyana mass suicide to the White Night Riot—can be viewed in a broader sense as the inevitable eruption in a long-simmering conflict between the San Francisco that had been, and city that was about to be—the death throes of the old San Francisco, you might say, amid the birthing pains of the new.

	''~~-- 2005~~''		''—2005''

Jeff: Text replacement - "category:Gay and Lesbian" to "category:LGBTQI"

2018-10-16T15:09:13Z

Text replacement - "category:Gay and Lesbian" to "category:LGBTQI"

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:09, 16 October 2018
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	[[White Night Riot: May 21, 1979\|Prev. Document]] [[The Tenderloin in the 20th century \|Next Document]]		[[White Night Riot: May 21, 1979\|Prev. Document]] [[The Tenderloin in the 20th century \|Next Document]]

	[[category:TenderNob]] [[category:~~Gay and Lesbian~~]] [[category:1970s]] [[category:Civic Center]] [[category:Castro]] [[category:Haight-Ashbury]] [[category:dissent]] [[category:riots]] [[category:White Night Riot]]		[[category:TenderNob]] [[category:LGBTQI]] [[category:1970s]] [[category:Civic Center]] [[category:Castro]] [[category:Haight-Ashbury]] [[category:dissent]] [[category:riots]] [[category:White Night Riot]]

Ccarlsson: fixed video code and added new youtube white night video

2014-05-22T03:42:38Z

fixed video code and added new youtube white night video

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:42, 21 May 2014
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	The string of incidents leading to what came to be called the [[White Night Riot: May 21, 1979\|White Night Riot]] can reasonably be traced to events [[Kool-Aid & Twinkies\|six months earlier]]. In November 1978, the city was shaken to its psychic roots when San Francisco-based Jim Jones led his People’s Temple followers in a mass suicide in Guyana. And when a few days later, on November 27, ex-Supervisor Dan White sneaked into City Hall and summarily executed Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, it was almost more than the civic psyche could absorb. At first, though, the city seemed to come together in its grief. That night, more than 25,000 candle-bearing mourners formed up in the Castro, then made their way peaceably down Market Street to City Hall.		The string of incidents leading to what came to be called the [[White Night Riot: May 21, 1979\|White Night Riot]] can reasonably be traced to events [[Kool-Aid & Twinkies\|six months earlier]]. In November 1978, the city was shaken to its psychic roots when San Francisco-based Jim Jones led his People’s Temple followers in a mass suicide in Guyana. And when a few days later, on November 27, ex-Supervisor Dan White sneaked into City Hall and summarily executed Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, it was almost more than the civic psyche could absorb. At first, though, the city seemed to come together in its grief. That night, more than 25,000 candle-bearing mourners formed up in the Castro, then made their way peaceably down Market Street to City Hall.

	~~{{#ev~~:archive\|ssfHarveym1~~\|320}}~~		<iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/ssfHarveym1" width="640" height="480" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" allowfullscreen></iframe>

	'''Harvey Milk's Last Words'''		'''Harvey Milk's Last Words'''
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	Lighted candles, first a few and then more and more, began to appear among the crowd. Who, I wondered, brings candles to a riot? Supervisor Silver, a sympathetic figure to those below, began to speak. The crowd applauded respectfully. For a time peace held the upper hand. In the end, the bullhorn was too feeble to be heard below, and the lighter became too warm to hold alight. The rock throwing resumed. The violence built until almost 11 p.m., when several police cars parked along McAllister Street were set afire by rioters. It was only then that we swept Civic Center Plaza and chased rioters as they trashed shop windows on Market Street and in the surrounding area.		Lighted candles, first a few and then more and more, began to appear among the crowd. Who, I wondered, brings candles to a riot? Supervisor Silver, a sympathetic figure to those below, began to speak. The crowd applauded respectfully. For a time peace held the upper hand. In the end, the bullhorn was too feeble to be heard below, and the lighter became too warm to hold alight. The rock throwing resumed. The violence built until almost 11 p.m., when several police cars parked along McAllister Street were set afire by rioters. It was only then that we swept Civic Center Plaza and chased rioters as they trashed shop windows on Market Street and in the surrounding area.

	~~'''video:''' [http:~~//www.~~archive~~.~~org~~/~~details~~/~~ssfWhitent1 Rioting at City Hall]~~		<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/V_mvk4istzo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


	Early May 22, a squad of police officers entered the Elephant Walk bar at 18th and Castro and routed the patrons in what many saw as a retaliatory “police riot.” The events of the night were capped by a police withdrawal from the Castro, dubbed “Mullen’s Retreat” in my honor by officers who would have preferred a different outcome.		Early May 22, a squad of police officers entered the Elephant Walk bar at 18th and Castro and routed the patrons in what many saw as a retaliatory “police riot.” The events of the night were capped by a police withdrawal from the Castro, dubbed “Mullen’s Retreat” in my honor by officers who would have preferred a different outcome.

Ccarlsson: embedded Harvey Milk's Last Words video clip

2010-06-04T19:16:41Z

embedded Harvey Milk's Last Words video clip

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:16, 4 June 2010
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	The string of incidents leading to what came to be called the [[White Night Riot: May 21, 1979\|White Night Riot]] can reasonably be traced to events [[Kool-Aid & Twinkies\|six months earlier]]. In November 1978, the city was shaken to its psychic roots when San Francisco-based Jim Jones led his People’s Temple followers in a mass suicide in Guyana. And when a few days later, on November 27, ex-Supervisor Dan White sneaked into City Hall and summarily executed Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, it was almost more than the civic psyche could absorb. At first, though, the city seemed to come together in its grief. That night, more than 25,000 candle-bearing mourners formed up in the Castro, then made their way peaceably down Market Street to City Hall.		The string of incidents leading to what came to be called the [[White Night Riot: May 21, 1979\|White Night Riot]] can reasonably be traced to events [[Kool-Aid & Twinkies\|six months earlier]]. In November 1978, the city was shaken to its psychic roots when San Francisco-based Jim Jones led his People’s Temple followers in a mass suicide in Guyana. And when a few days later, on November 27, ex-Supervisor Dan White sneaked into City Hall and summarily executed Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, it was almost more than the civic psyche could absorb. At first, though, the city seemed to come together in its grief. That night, more than 25,000 candle-bearing mourners formed up in the Castro, then made their way peaceably down Market Street to City Hall.

	~~'''Video~~:''' ~~[http://www.archive.org/details/ssfHarveym1~~ Harvey Milk's Last Words]		{{#ev:archive\|ssfHarveym1\|320}}

			'''Harvey Milk's Last Words'''

	There they were greeted by the familiar voice of Joan Baez and the strains of “Amazing Grace.” Acting Mayor [[Mayor Dianne Feinstein\|Dianne Feinstein]] addressed the group over pre-positioned loudspeakers, as did other civic leaders, including Harry Britt, Milk’s political protégé. Harvey’s recorded voice, taped three weeks earlier on the defeat of the Briggs amendment which would have prohibited gays from teaching in public schools, was broadcast to the assembled throng. The proceedings closed at 11:30 p.m. with a Felix Mendelssohn hymn sung by the Gay Men’s Choir.		There they were greeted by the familiar voice of Joan Baez and the strains of “Amazing Grace.” Acting Mayor [[Mayor Dianne Feinstein\|Dianne Feinstein]] addressed the group over pre-positioned loudspeakers, as did other civic leaders, including Harry Britt, Milk’s political protégé. Harvey’s recorded voice, taped three weeks earlier on the defeat of the Briggs amendment which would have prohibited gays from teaching in public schools, was broadcast to the assembled throng. The proceedings closed at 11:30 p.m. with a Felix Mendelssohn hymn sung by the Gay Men’s Choir.

Ccarlsson: fixing White Night for deletion of Peter Plate's account

2010-06-04T19:08:37Z

fixing White Night for deletion of Peter Plate's account

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:08, 4 June 2010
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	[[Kool-Aid & Twinkies\|MORE White Night]]		[[Kool-Aid & Twinkies\|MORE White Night]]

	[[White Night Riot\|Prev. Document]] [[The Tenderloin in the 20th century \|Next Document]]		[[White Night Riot: May 21, 1979\|Prev. Document]] [[The Tenderloin in the 20th century \|Next Document]]

	[[category:TenderNob]] [[category:Gay and Lesbian]] [[category:1970s]] [[category:Civic Center]] [[category:Castro]] [[category:Haight-Ashbury]] [[category:dissent]] [[category:riots]] [[category:White Night Riot]]		[[category:TenderNob]] [[category:Gay and Lesbian]] [[category:1970s]] [[category:Civic Center]] [[category:Castro]] [[category:Haight-Ashbury]] [[category:dissent]] [[category:riots]] [[category:White Night Riot]]

Ccarlsson: Protected "White Night Riot: A Policeman's View": personal account [edit=sysop:move=sysop]

2009-01-18T09:16:15Z

Protected "White Night Riot: A Policeman's View": personal account [edit=sysop:move=sysop]

← Older revision	Revision as of 02:16, 18 January 2009
(No difference)

Lisaruth: added to white night "loop", added page content type, protected

2009-01-07T21:27:53Z

added to white night "loop", added page content type, protected

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:27, 7 January 2009
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			'''<font face = Papyrus> <font color = maroon> <font size = 4>"I was there..."</font></font> </font>'''

			''by Kevin Mullen''

	[[Image:Tendrnob%24white-night-cop-car.jpg]]		[[Image:Tendrnob%24white-night-cop-car.jpg]]

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	Still, tactics and timing aside, the tensions that characterized events in the late 1970s – from the Guyana mass suicide to the White Night Riot—can be viewed in a broader sense as the inevitable eruption in a long-simmering conflict between the San Francisco that had been, and city that was about to be—the death throes of the old San Francisco, you might say, amid the birthing pains of the new.		Still, tactics and timing aside, the tensions that characterized events in the late 1970s – from the Guyana mass suicide to the White Night Riot—can be viewed in a broader sense as the inevitable eruption in a long-simmering conflict between the San Francisco that had been, and city that was about to be—the death throes of the old San Francisco, you might say, amid the birthing pains of the new.

	''~~—Kevin Mullen,~~ 2005''		''-- 2005''


			[[Kool-Aid & Twinkies\|MORE White Night]]

	[[White Night Riot\|Prev. Document]] [[The Tenderloin in the 20th century \|Next Document]]		[[White Night Riot\|Prev. Document]] [[The Tenderloin in the 20th century \|Next Document]]

	[[category:TenderNob]] [[category:Gay and Lesbian]] [[category:1970s]] [[category:Civic Center]] [[category:Castro]] [[category:Haight-Ashbury]] [[category:dissent]] [[category:riots]] [[category:White Night Riot]]		[[category:TenderNob]] [[category:Gay and Lesbian]] [[category:1970s]] [[category:Civic Center]] [[category:Castro]] [[category:Haight-Ashbury]] [[category:dissent]] [[category:riots]] [[category:White Night Riot]]

Ccarlsson at 22:58, 5 August 2008

2008-08-05T22:58:45Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:58, 5 August 2008
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	The string of incidents leading to what came to be called the [[White Night Riot: May 21, 1979\|White Night Riot]] can reasonably be traced to events [[Kool-Aid & Twinkies\|six months earlier]]. In November 1978, the city was shaken to its psychic roots when San Francisco-based Jim Jones led his People’s Temple followers in a mass suicide in Guyana. And when a few days later, on November 27, ex-Supervisor Dan White sneaked into City Hall and summarily executed Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, it was almost more than the civic psyche could absorb. At first, though, the city seemed to come together in its grief. That night, more than 25,000 candle-bearing mourners formed up in the Castro, then made their way peaceably down Market Street to City Hall.		The string of incidents leading to what came to be called the [[White Night Riot: May 21, 1979\|White Night Riot]] can reasonably be traced to events [[Kool-Aid & Twinkies\|six months earlier]]. In November 1978, the city was shaken to its psychic roots when San Francisco-based Jim Jones led his People’s Temple followers in a mass suicide in Guyana. And when a few days later, on November 27, ex-Supervisor Dan White sneaked into City Hall and summarily executed Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, it was almost more than the civic psyche could absorb. At first, though, the city seemed to come together in its grief. That night, more than 25,000 candle-bearing mourners formed up in the Castro, then made their way peaceably down Market Street to City Hall.

			'''Video:''' [http://www.archive.org/details/ssfHarveym1 Harvey Milk's Last Words]

	There they were greeted by the familiar voice of Joan Baez and the strains of “Amazing Grace.” Acting Mayor [[Mayor Dianne Feinstein\|Dianne Feinstein]] addressed the group over pre-positioned loudspeakers, as did other civic leaders, including Harry Britt, Milk’s political protégé. Harvey’s recorded voice, taped three weeks earlier on the defeat of the Briggs amendment which would have prohibited gays from teaching in public schools, was broadcast to the assembled throng. The proceedings closed at 11:30 p.m. with a Felix Mendelssohn hymn sung by the Gay Men’s Choir.		There they were greeted by the familiar voice of Joan Baez and the strains of “Amazing Grace.” Acting Mayor [[Mayor Dianne Feinstein\|Dianne Feinstein]] addressed the group over pre-positioned loudspeakers, as did other civic leaders, including Harry Britt, Milk’s political protégé. Harvey’s recorded voice, taped three weeks earlier on the defeat of the Briggs amendment which would have prohibited gays from teaching in public schools, was broadcast to the assembled throng. The proceedings closed at 11:30 p.m. with a Felix Mendelssohn hymn sung by the Gay Men’s Choir.

Ccarlsson at 21:50, 5 August 2008

2008-08-05T21:50:16Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:50, 5 August 2008
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	'''A burning police car, White Night Riot, May 21st, 1979'''		'''A burning police car, White Night Riot, May 21st, 1979'''

	May 1979: Prologue to “Toughest Gang in Town”		May 1979: Prologue to [http://www.sanfranciscohomicide.com/ “Toughest Gang in Town”]

	In the early morning hours of May 22, 1979—on my orders—police formations marched back-step up Castro Street from 18th to Market, followed by a crowd of jeering demonstrators. As the oddly paired groups passed in front of the Castro Theater where I was standing, one of the crowd broke away and approached within 20 feet of me, where he loudly denounced me as a “pig-faced Irish motherfucker” before scurrying back to the safety of the mob. The irony wasn’t lost on me that my withdrawal order, which even then I knew would cost me dearly in the opinion of working cops, had also saved my detractor from getting his butt kicked by some very angry police officers.		In the early morning hours of May 22, 1979—on my orders—police formations marched back-step up Castro Street from 18th to Market, followed by a crowd of jeering demonstrators. As the oddly paired groups passed in front of the Castro Theater where I was standing, one of the crowd broke away and approached within 20 feet of me, where he loudly denounced me as a “pig-faced Irish motherfucker” before scurrying back to the safety of the mob. The irony wasn’t lost on me that my withdrawal order, which even then I knew would cost me dearly in the opinion of working cops, had also saved my detractor from getting his butt kicked by some very angry police officers.

Ccarlsson at 21:36, 5 August 2008

2008-08-05T21:36:12Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:36, 5 August 2008
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	Lighted candles, first a few and then more and more, began to appear among the crowd. Who, I wondered, brings candles to a riot? Supervisor Silver, a sympathetic figure to those below, began to speak. The crowd applauded respectfully. For a time peace held the upper hand. In the end, the bullhorn was too feeble to be heard below, and the lighter became too warm to hold alight. The rock throwing resumed. The violence built until almost 11 p.m., when several police cars parked along McAllister Street were set afire by rioters. It was only then that we swept Civic Center Plaza and chased rioters as they trashed shop windows on Market Street and in the surrounding area.		Lighted candles, first a few and then more and more, began to appear among the crowd. Who, I wondered, brings candles to a riot? Supervisor Silver, a sympathetic figure to those below, began to speak. The crowd applauded respectfully. For a time peace held the upper hand. In the end, the bullhorn was too feeble to be heard below, and the lighter became too warm to hold alight. The rock throwing resumed. The violence built until almost 11 p.m., when several police cars parked along McAllister Street were set afire by rioters. It was only then that we swept Civic Center Plaza and chased rioters as they trashed shop windows on Market Street and in the surrounding area.

	video: [http://www.archive.org/details/ssfWhitent1 Rioting at City Hall]		'''video:''' [http://www.archive.org/details/ssfWhitent1 Rioting at City Hall]

	Early May 22, a squad of police officers entered the Elephant Walk bar at 18th and Castro and routed the patrons in what many saw as a retaliatory “police riot.” The events of the night were capped by a police withdrawal from the Castro, dubbed “Mullen’s Retreat” in my honor by officers who would have preferred a different outcome.		Early May 22, a squad of police officers entered the Elephant Walk bar at 18th and Castro and routed the patrons in what many saw as a retaliatory “police riot.” The events of the night were capped by a police withdrawal from the Castro, dubbed “Mullen’s Retreat” in my honor by officers who would have preferred a different outcome.