The White Night riots occurred in San Francisco in 1979 after a controversial trial verdict. The riots caused extensive damage and led to civil lawsuits against the police department. The events were sparked by the murder of Harvey Milk, a beloved gay official, and Mayor George Moscone. The verdict of manslaughter instead of murder with a sentence of just seven years caused the city to erupt. The riots resulted in injuries, property damage, and several settlements. Harvey Milk remains an icon in the gay community.
The White Night riots were two riots that took place in the city of San Francisco on May 21, 1979, following the announcement of a controversial trial verdict. In the course of the unrest, the Civic Center and neighborhoods of Castro suffered extensive damage and numerous arrests were made. Ultimately, the Notte Bianca riots even led to several civil lawsuits against the San Francisco Police Department by people who claimed they were abused in the course of the riots; patrons of the Elephant Walk cafe, in particular, cited widespread abuse of power by police officers.
The events leading up to the White Night riots began on November 27, 1978, when a former supervisor named Dan White entered City Hall and shot Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone in cold blood. Over the course of White’s subsequent trial, the defense put forward the now infamous Twinkie Defense; they argued that White was not sane, using his consumption of copious amounts of junk food in the months leading up to the murders as evidence of a disturbed mental state.
The city of San Francisco has eagerly awaited the verdict in the case. Harvey Milk was one of the first openly gay officials in the United States, and he was a beloved citizen of a city that has long been famous for its open attitude towards the gay community. When the verdict returned as manslaughter, rather than murder, with a sentence of just seven years, the city erupted.
Angry protesters gathered on Market and Castro Streets, the heart of The Castro, San Francisco’s gay neighborhood. A spontaneous march to City Hall began, and despite efforts to calm the crowds, people began rampaging through the Civic Center neighborhood. Cars were set on fire, windows were smashed, fires were started inside City Hall, and the police began responding, trying to disperse the crowds. Several policemen were injured in the first of the Notte Bianca riots, setting the stage for an increase in violence in the second rioting.
The second of the Notte Bianca riots occurred in Castro, where people gathered again after being dispersed from City Hall. Still restless and angry, the crowd continued to throw a tantrum and the police jumped into the fray. A few off-duty, out-of-uniform policemen arrived to lend support, making it difficult to distinguish between rioters and police, and angry police officers delivered a few blows in retaliation for their comrades injured in the Town Hall riot. Some witnesses said the cop arrived with active revenge in mind, rather than simple crowd control, though the San Francisco Police Department remains silent on the matter.
After the White Night riots, a grand jury investigation was convened to determine who was responsible, and several substantial bodily injury and property damage settlements were made. Harvey Milk remains an icon in San Francisco’s gay community as well as an inspirational figure for gay politicians in many other corners of the world.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
