Yeah, conservatives originally demanded that Biden send the national guard to break the protests. They were obviously hoping for another Kent State scenario, which they could then leverage against him. When he refused, Texas sent the state police instead.
The Hard Hat Riot occurred on May 8, 1970, in New York City. It started around noon when around 400 construction workers and around 800 office workers attacked around 1,000 demonstrators affiliated with the student strike of 1970. The students were protesting the May 4 Kent State shootings and the Vietnam War, following the April 30 announcement by President Richard Nixon of the U.S. invasion of neutral Cambodia. Some construction workers carried U.S. flags and chanted “USA, All the way”, and “America, love it or leave it”. Anti-war protesters shouted, “Peace now”.
The riot, first breaking out near the intersection of Wall Street and Broad Street in Lower Manhattan, led to a mob scene with more than 20,000 people in the streets, eventually leading to a siege of New York City Hall, an attack on the conservative Pace University, and lasted more than three hours. Around 100 people, including seven policemen, were injured on what became known as “Bloody Friday”. Six people were arrested, but only one of them was a construction worker associated with the rioters. President Nixon then invited the hardhat leaders to Washington, D.C., and accepted a hardhat from them.
PM_Your_Nudes_Please@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Yeah, conservatives originally demanded that Biden send the national guard to break the protests. They were obviously hoping for another Kent State scenario, which they could then leverage against him. When he refused, Texas sent the state police instead.
Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
That’s certainly a fucking dumb move…
UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 2 months ago
It is, depressingly, a very savvy and effective move with a proven history of success.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_Hat_Riot