Hard Hat Riot

The Hard Hat Riot occurred on May 8, 1970, near the intersection of Wall Street and Broad Street and at New York City Hall. The riot started about noon when about 200 construction workers mobilized by the New York State AFL-CIO attacked about 1,000 high school and college students and others protesting the Kent State shootings, the American invasion of Cambodia and the Vietnam War. The riot lasted little more than two hours, and ended of its own accord. More than 70 people were injured, including four policemen. Six people were arrested.

Background

On May 4, 1970, four students were shot and killed at Kent State University in Ohio while protesting the Vietnam War and the incursion into Cambodia. As a show of sympathy for the dead students, Republican Mayor John Lindsay ordered all flags at City Hall to be flown at half-mast the same day. [Kifner, "4 Kent State Students Killed by Troops," "New York Times," May 5, 1970.]

The American labor movement was deeply divided over support for President Richard Nixon's Vietnam policies. AFL-CIO President George Meany and most labor leaders in the United States were vehemently anti-communist and strongly supported American military involvement in Southeast Asia. But by 1970, union members were nearly split in their support for the war.Foner, "U.S. Labor and the Vietnam War," 1989.]

One of the strongest supporters of the president's war policy was Peter J. Brennan. Brennan was president of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York, an alliance of building and construction unions in the New York City area. He was also president of the Building and Construction Trades Council of New York, the statewide umbrella group for construction unions. Additionally, he served as the vice president of the New York City Central Labor Council and the New York State AFL-CIO, umbrella groups for all labor unions in these respective areas.McFadden, "Peter Brennan, 78, Union Head and Nixon's Labor Chief," "New York Times," October 4, 1996.] [Fink, "Biographical Dictionary of American Labor," 1984.] Brennan called himself a Democrat, but often supported Republicans for office. The building and construction unions were overwhelmingly blue-collar and male, and large majorities of these union members supported Nixon's Vietnam policy.

Shortly after the Kent State shootings, anti-war protesters announced they would hold a rally near City Hall to memorialize the four dead students. Brennan quickly decided to organize a counter-rally of construction workers to show support for the Nixon administration.

The riot

At 7:30 a.m. on May 8, several hundred anti-war protesters (most of them high school and college students) began holding a memorial at Broad and Wall Streets for the four dead students at Kent State. By late morning, the protesters—now numbering more than a thousand—had moved to the steps of Federal Hall, gathering in front of the statue of George Washington which tops the steps. The protesters demanded an end to the war in Vietnam and Cambodia, the release of "political prisoners" in the United States, and an end to military-related research on all university campuses.Bigart, "War Foes Here Attacked By Construction Workers," New York Times, May 9, 1970.] Freeman, "Hardhats: Construction Workers, Manliness, and the 1970 Pro-War Demonstrations," Journal of Social History, Summer 1993.]

At five minutes to noon, about 200 construction workers converged on the student rally at Federal Hall from four directions. Nearly all the construction workers carried American flags. Their numbers may have been doubled by others who had joined them as they marched toward Federal Hall. A thin line of police formed to separate the construction workers from the anti-war protesters. At first, the construction workers only pushed but did not break through the police line. After two minutes, however, the workers broke through the police line and began chasing students through the streets. The workers pursued those with the longest hair and beat several severely. Attorneys, bankers and investment analysts from nearby Wall Street investment firms tried to protect many of the students but were themselves attacked. Onlookers reported that the police stood by and did nothing.

Some of the construction workers and counter-protesters moved across City Hall Park toward New York City Hall. They mounted the steps, planted their flags at the top of the steps, then attempted to gain entrance to City Hall. Police on duty at City Hall initially barred them, but soon the mob pushed past these guards. A few workers entered the building. A postal worker rushed onto the roof of City Hall and raised the American flag there to full mast. When city workers lowered the flag back down to half-mast, a large number of construction workers stormed past the police. Deputy Mayor Richard Aurelio, fearing the building would be overrun by the mob, ordered city workers to raise the flag back to full mast.

Rioting construction workers also attacked buildings near City Hall. They ripped the Red Cross and Episcopal Church flags down from a flag pole at nearby Trinity Church. Then they stormed two buildings at nearby Pace University, breaking windows and beating students with clubs and crowbars.

More than 70 people were injured, including four policemen. None of the injuries were severe, although most of the injured required hospital treatment. Only six people were arrested.

Aftermath

President Nixon held an emergency press conference to defuse the situation before tens of thousands of students arrived in Washington, D.C., for a protest rally on May 9. [Perlmutter, "Head of Building Trades Unions Here Says Response Favors Friday's Action," "New York Times," May 12, 1970.]

Mayor Lindsay severely criticized the police for their lack of action. [ MAURICE CARROLL [http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F10A15FB3D5417768FDDA90994DD405B808BF1D3 Police Assailed by Mayor On Laxity at Peace Rally] ] "NY Times", May 10, 1970, Page 1 ] . Police Department organization leaders later accused Lindsay of "undermining the confidence of the public in its Police Department" by his statements, [ DAVID BURNHAM, [http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=FB0C17FD395910728DDDAB0994DD405B808BF1D3 5 Police Groups Rebut Critical Mayor] , "NY Times", May 12, 1970, Page 18 ] and blamed the inaction on inadequate preparations and "inconsistent directives" in the past from the Mayor's office. [ MICHAEL T. KAUFMAN [http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F10F12FF3F5D137B93C3A8178ED85F448785F9 P.B.A BLAMES CITY IN REPLY TO MAYOR ON LAXITY CHARGE; City Hall Directive Called 'Inconsistent' as Guide in Attack by Workers] May 11, 1970, Page 1 ]

Several thousand construction workers, longshoremen and white-collar protested against the mayor on May 11 and again on the 16th. Protestors called the mayor "a bum", "a commy rat", and "a traitor". Lindsay described the mood of the city as "taut". [ HOMER BIGART [http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F40C16FD395910728DDDAB0994DD405B808BF1D3 Thousands Assail Lindsay In 2d Protest by Workers] "NY Times", May 12, 1970, Page 1 ] [ HOMER BIGART [http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F20911FD3F5D137B93C4A8178ED85F448785F9 Thousands in City March To Assail Lindsay on War] "NY Times", May 16, 1970, Page 11 ] These rallies, culminated in a large rally on May 20.Bigart, Homer [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30617F93F5D137B93C3AB178ED85F448785F9&scp=6&sq=ticker%2Btape&st=p Huge City Hall Rally Backs Nixon's Indochina Policies] "New York Times," May 21, 1970.] An estimated 60,000 to 150,000 construction and other workers peacefully marched through the streets of downtown New York City. Workers in the surrounding buildings showed their support by showering the marchers with ticker tape.

On May 26, Brennan led a delegation of 22 union leaders to meet with President Nixon at the White House and presented him with a hardhat. Nixon general counsel Charles Colson, in charge of developing a strategy to win union support for Nixon in the 1972 presidential election, identified Brennan as a friendly labor leader due to his role in organizing the counter-protests of May 8 and May 20. [Semple, "Nixon Meets Heads Of 2 City Unions," "New York Times," May 27, 1970.] Brennan later met privately with Nixon on Labor Day.

It is generally believed that the action by construction workers was not premeditated. [At least one eyewitness, however, described two men in grey suits using walkie-talkies and hand signals to direct the construction workers during the riot. See Bigart, "War Foes Here Attacked By Construction Workers," "New York Times," May 9, 1970.] However, many left-wing organizations claim that Brennan provoked the construction workers into rioting.

Brennan later organized significant labor union political support for Nixon in the 1972 election. Nixon appointed Brennan as his Labor Secretary after the election as a reward for his support. [Stetson, "Brennan Reports Labor Leaders Favoring Nixon Are Organizing," "New York Times," September 9, 1972; Stetson, "200 Labor Chiefs in City Form Nixon Committee," "New York Times," September 28, 1972; Naughton, "Construction Union Chief in New York Is Chosen to Succeed Hodgson," "New York Times," November 30, 1972; Shabecoff, "Brennan Choice Called Political Move," "New York Times," December 1, 1972.]

ee also

*John V. Lindsay
*List of incidents of civil unrest in the United States

Notes

References

*Bigart, Homer. "Huge City Hall Rally Backs Nixon's Indochina Policies." "New York Times." May 21, 1970.
*Bigart, Homer. "War Foes Here Attacked By Construction Workers." "New York Times." May 9, 1970.
*Fink, Gary M., ed. "Biographical Dictionary of American Labor." Westport, Ct.: Greenwood Press, 1984. ISBN 0313228655
*Foner, Philip S. "U.S. Labor and the Vietnam War." Paperback ed. New York: International Publishers, 1989. ISBN 0717806723
*Freeman, Joshua B. "Hardhats: Construction Workers, Manliness, and the 1970 Pro-War Demonstrations." "Journal of Social History." Summer 1993.
*Kifner, John. "4 Kent State Students Killed by Troops." "New York Times." May 5, 1970.
*McFadden, Robert D. "Peter Brennan, 78, Union Head and Nixon's Labor Chief." "New York Times." October 4, 1996.
*Naughton, James M. "Construction Union Chief in New York Is Chosen to Succeed Hodgson." "New York Times." November 30, 1972.
*Perlmutter, Emanuel. "Head of Building Trades Unions Here Says Response Favors Friday's Action." "New York Times." May 12, 1970.
*Semple, Jr., Robert B. "Nixon Meets Heads Of 2 City Unions." "New York Times." May 27, 1970.
*Shabecoff, Philip. "Brennan Choice Called Political Move." "New York Times." December 1, 1972.
*Stetson, Damon. "Brennan Reports Labor Leaders Favoring Nixon Are Organizing." "New York Times." September 9, 1972.
*Stetson, Damon. "200 Labor Chiefs in City Form Nixon Committee." "New York Times." September 28, 1972.

External links

* [http://chnm.gmu.edu/hardhats/homepage.html George Mason University: Center for History & New Media site dealing with Hard Hat riot.]