1968 New York City riot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 1968 New York City riot |
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| Part of King assassination riots | |||
| Date | April 4-5, 1968 | ||
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| Caused by | Assassination of Martin Luther King | ||
| Parties to the civil conflict | |||
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The 1968 New York City riot was a time of trouble in the city. It happened after the sad news of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968. People expected a lot of problems in Harlem, a large African-American neighborhood in Manhattan. A year before, there had been similar issues.
However, Mayor John Lindsay went to Harlem himself. He told residents how sorry he was about King's death. This helped to calm things down. Some stores in Harlem and Brooklyn were still broken into or set on fire. But these events were not as widespread. They were much smaller than the riots in Washington D.C., Baltimore, and Chicago. In those cities, soldiers were needed to stop the unrest.
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Understanding Other Times of Trouble in New York City
Two other separate events of civil unrest happened in New York City in July. These took place in the Lower East Side and Coney Island around the same time. It is not known if they were connected in any way.
Events in Coney Island
One period of civil unrest started in Coney Island on July 19. Areas with African-American and Puerto Rican residents became very troubled. The exact reason for this is not known.
The Tactical Patrol Force (TPF) was sent in on July 22. This police unit helped to control the crowds. Mayor Lindsay visited the riot area in Coney Island on July 23. He held meetings with local people there. During these meetings, city officials and community members made a promise. They said the TPF would not bother people working in anti-poverty programs. They also promised not to "attack the 'community action centers of the people inside them.'"
Unrest in the Lower East Side
The unrest in the Lower East Side began at 9 PM on July 23. Police tried to stop a fight between Puerto Rican and Eastern European groups. This happened at 9th Street and Avenue C. But the crowd fought back, and the police were attacked.
That night, four police cars were damaged. Thirteen people were arrested. The next night, July 24, 400 police officers were sent to the area. About 600 people gathered, angry at how the police acted. Police officers were shot at, and bottles were thrown at them. Both police officers and firefighters were hurt that night. The unrest lasted until July 27. On that day, the police force was pulled out of the area. A peace march was also held on July 27.
Images for kids
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Coney Island in 1974, photographed by Hope Alexander for the DOCUMERICA program.
