By San Francisco standards the evening of Friday, October 6, 1989 started off like any other, with a cool sea breeze buffeting the city and residents welcoming the start of the weekend. In the Civic Center area, AIDS activists had gathered to protest the lack of federal funding to deal with the deadly virus that was decimating the gay male community at the time.But what many had expected to be another routine rally organized by ACT UP would instead result in a violent takeover of the gay Castro District that rocked the police department and reverberated throughout City Hall. The incident would become known as the "Castro Sweep" and prolong a rift between the city’s law enforcement and LGBT community that had began a decade earlier with the White Night riots sparked by a lenient sentence for the killer of the city’s first openly gay supervisor, Harvey Milk, and Mayor George Moscone.[MEDIA not found]Before the night was through, the police had shut down an entire city neighborhood and arrested 53 people and injured 10. Four police officers also were injured during the several hours-long occupation of the Castro."Castro Held Hostage"
The headline in the following week’s Bay Area Reporter screamed "Castro Held Hostage." A photo showed a bleeding Michael Barrett lying on the ground, having been injured by a police officer wielding his baton.As reporter Brett Averill described the incident, he wrote that what had started "as a bland plea for more AIDS funds ended five hours later with bloodied heads, mass arrests, and the specter of fully armed riot police marching through the heart of the Castro sweeping demonstrators and confused passersby from the streets and sidewalks."Recalling that evening in an interview with the B.A.R. this week, Brian Bringardner, an out gay man who had joined in the ACT UP protest that night, described the incident as "a military occupation of the Castro.""I just remember how terrifying and surreal the whole thing was," said Bringardner, who now works as an assistant district attorney. "They took over the entire Castro neighborhood, which had never happened before."Gerard Koskovich, who at the time was a freelance journalist and recent Stanford University graduate, also had decided to take part in the AIDS protest, which began at the federal building a few blocks from City Hall. He said the rally had only drawn about 150 people and the plan was to march to the Castro, making stops along the way at City Hall and then the Mint building, before ending at Harvey Milk Plaza at Castro and Market streets.Story continues at Edge - San Francisco - Continue Reading Here
Initial reports by the Atlanta Police Department of people fighting with guns Sept. 6 in Piedmont Park were incorrect, according to new information released by the APD and published by repost from the SouthernVoice. There were no guns involved in the incident and no arrests made.Lt. J. Little of the dispatch unit of Zone 5, which supervises Piedmont Park, said Tuesday that police responded to an unruly crowd at the park at about 9 p.m. Sunday after someone threw firecrackers causing many people to run.No arrests were made and no injuries were reported, Little added. He also said police did not close down the park.
“There were no guns involved. Someone had thrown firecrackers and some of the crowd ran and caused a little bit of a panic,” Little said. “We dispatched units, but there were no arrests made and no injuries.”
Hundreds of people gather in the park each Sunday during Labor Day weekend as part of celebrating Black Gay Pride.
"There were people fighting with guns and that caused people to stampede," an APD officer told Ryan Lee at the scene on Sunday as officers set up barricades around the park refusing to allow people in the park and clearing people out. Lee is David Atlanta magazine editor and Southern Voice senior reporter and was at the park at about 9:30 p.m. when people began running.
Atlanta LGBT Officer Dani Lee Harris, who was not at the park but in contact with another officer, told Southern Voice on Sunday at about 10:15 p.m. she was informed “several arrests” were made.Gathering in Piedmont Park during Black Gay Pride is a longstanding tradition. DJs play music and numerous cookouts take place.
The Atlanta Police Department said people with guns were fighting in Piedmont Park at about 9 p.m. today causing hundreds of people to "stampede." There were no initial reports of injuries and police said the scene was deemed safe after the crowd was dispersed. The park closes at 11 p.m. and most people were leaving the park at about 9:30 p.m.Several arrests were made and two people was possibly maced, said APD LGBT liaison Officer Dani Lee Harris."The APD got a call about an unruly crowd at the park and responded to the scene. There were two Code 20s [use of mace] and several arrests were made, but it's not known yet how many," Harris said at about 10:15 p.m. "The crowd is dispersed and the scene is secure." She added there were no reports of any injuries.Hundreds of people were gathered in the park today as part of an unofficial gathering of Black Gay Pride, with DJs playing music and numerous cookouts taking place. Sundays in the park is part of a long standing tradition at Black Gay Pride.Ryan Lee, editor of David Atlanta magazine and senior reporter at Southern Voice, who was at the park tonight when the incident took place, said he heard no gunfire and police told him a fight broke out among a group of people who had guns. He said at about 9:30 p.m. the APD was attempting to clear out the park. "There were people fighting with guns and that caused people to stampede," an APD officer told Lee at about 9:30 p.m. at the scene. Earlier today, the park was filled with people dancing to music and picnicking as well as walking throughout the park.Lil Kim is one of the star attractions during this year’s Black Gay Pride as part of the ‘Pure Heat’ theme of parties planned by Traxx Atlanta and Traxx Girls
SouthernVoice Reporting
By San Francisco standards the evening of Friday, October 6, 1989 started off like any other, with a cool sea breeze buffeting the city and residents welcoming the start of the weekend. In the Civic Center area, AIDS activists had gathered to protest the lack of federal funding to deal with the deadly virus that was decimating the gay male community at the time.
But what many had expected to be another routine rally organized by ACT UP would instead result in a violent takeover of the gay Castro District that rocked the police department and reverberated throughout City Hall. The incident would become known as the "Castro Sweep" and prolong a rift between the city’s law enforcement and LGBT community that had began a decade earlier with the White Night riots sparked by a lenient sentence for the killer of the city’s first openly gay supervisor, Harvey Milk, and Mayor George Moscone.
[MEDIA not found]
Before the night was through, the police had shut down an entire city neighborhood and arrested 53 people and injured 10. Four police officers also were injured during the several hours-long occupation of the Castro.
"Castro Held Hostage"
The headline in the following week’s Bay Area Reporter screamed "Castro Held Hostage." A photo showed a bleeding Michael Barrett lying on the ground, having been injured by a police officer wielding his baton.
As reporter Brett Averill described the incident, he wrote that what had started "as a bland plea for more AIDS funds ended five hours later with bloodied heads, mass arrests, and the specter of fully armed riot police marching through the heart of the Castro sweeping demonstrators and confused passersby from the streets and sidewalks."
Recalling that evening in an interview with the B.A.R. this week, Brian Bringardner, an out gay man who had joined in the ACT UP protest that night, described the incident as "a military occupation of the Castro."
"I just remember how terrifying and surreal the whole thing was," said Bringardner, who now works as an assistant district attorney. "They took over the entire Castro neighborhood, which had never happened before."
Gerard Koskovich, who at the time was a freelance journalist and recent Stanford University graduate, also had decided to take part in the AIDS protest, which began at the federal building a few blocks from City Hall. He said the rally had only drawn about 150 people and the plan was to march to the Castro, making stops along the way at City Hall and then the Mint building, before ending at Harvey Milk Plaza at Castro and Market streets.
Story continues at Edge - San Francisco - Continue Reading Here
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