The Uprising

“When I got downtown, the place was already on fire. Sylvia Rivera and them were over in the park having a cocktail. And we were in the streets turning over cars and, oh, my dear, blocking traffic and screaming and hollering and everything.”

- Marsha P. Johnson -

Riots were a very normal occurrence for gay bars, so it definitely was a surprise for the police. The mafia normally paid off the police, but something different happened that night. "There were no instructions except: put them out of business. The first police officer that came in with our group said, 'The place is under arrest. When you exit, have some identification and it'll be over in a short time.' This time they said, 'We're not going.' That's it. 'We're not going.' " - Deputy Inspector Seymour Pine. The riots themselves were violent and lasted for a couple of days. It started on July, 27th 1969 at Stonewall Inn. “When the police raided the place, I was outside. Then I remembered a friend inside who did not have a false ID and he was going to get in trouble, so I went inside to give him one. Once I got inside, the police wouldn’t let us out. It got really hot. I remember throwing punches and resisting arrest. The police handcuffed me and threw me in the paddy wagon. But I sprung back up, like a leap frog, and when I did that I knocked the police down.” - Raymond Castro, 2009. Once again the police had raided the bar and started arresting people left and right. Finally, after someone yelled, “Why don’t you guys do something!” chaos broke out. Various items were thrown at the police by patrons who were pushing for recognition and approval that would start to develop in the later years. After a bit, things got so intense that the inn was set on fire a few times showcasing the anger they had after putting up with the way they were treated for so long. In 1970, people celebrated the one year anniversary with a march down Christopher Street, it later became Christopher Street Liberation Day. 

 “I mean there was a lot of bloodshed that night. And the movement started the next day.”

- Sylvia Rivera -

"Fed up with constant police harassment and social discrimination, angry patrons and neighborhood residents hung around outside of the bar rather than disperse, becoming increasingly agitated as the events unfolded and people were aggressively manhandled. At one point, an officer hit a lesbian over the head as he forced her into the police van— she shouted to onlookers to act, inciting the crowd to begin throw pennies, bottles, cobble stones and other objects at the police."

- HISTORY -

- Published: June 25, 2021 -