White Night Riots

The White Night Riots erupted in San Francisco on May 21, 1979, when a jury convicted former city supervisor Dan White of voluntary manslaughter rather than murder for assassinating Mayor George Moscone and Harvey Milk, one of the country's first openly gay elected officials. White had killed both men at City Hall in November 1978. The lenient verdict, tied to the widely mocked "Twinkie defense" of diminished capacity, enraged the gay community, which already had a long conflict with the police. Thousands marched on City Hall, smashing windows and burning police cars. Hours later, officers raided a Castro gay bar in retaliation. The riots marked a turning point in San Francisco's gay political power and its relationship with the police.