Reaction to Dan White verdict

This tape features man-on-the-street reactions to the verdict of the Dan White trial that culminated in the White Night riot of May 21, 1979 in a program produced by the KPFA Fruit Punch Collective. Over 10,000 people came out to San Francisco’s Civic Center to protest the decision of the courts to convict the former supervisor on two counts of voluntary manslaughter, for which he would receive less than five years of jail time. The reactions of those interviewed range from mournful to livid, with some calling for the total destruction of City Hall. Cries of “Gay people, fight back!”, “Remember Harvey Milk!”, “We want justice!” and “Murder!” resonate throughout the recording. Cleve Jones, Sally Gearhart and Amber Hollibaugh all spoke through bullhorns to the crowd. San Francisco police intervened in the Castro, forcefully arresting and beating protestors to the outrage of the neighborhood’s denizens. The program captures the sounds of violence and records police incidents involving gay people.
Contains pre-recorded music and sensitive language.