Broadening of the campaigns for civil rights - Gay rights - OCR AThe Stonewall riots

Raid on the Stonewall Inn

The Stonewall Inn, New York, was a bar that welcomed gay men, lesbians and transgender people. It was also owned by the mafia. These factors combined made the bar a target for police raids and the arrest of its patrons. In June 1969, the police had raided two other local bars that served gay people. These raids had not been met with much resistance. However, when the police raided the Stonewall Inn on 28 June, the outcome was different.

• Nine police officers arrested employees of the bar for selling alcohol without a licence and also arrested several people for not wearing at least three items of 'gender-appropriate' clothing.
• The crowd’s size increased to over 400 people as word spread of the disturbance at the bar.
• The crowd attacked the police officers and threw objects at their vans.
• The police called for reinforcements and barricaded themselves inside the bar for safety.
• Police reinforcements cleared the protesters and released the officers inside the bar.
• Four police officers were hurt in the riot and 13 protesters were arrested.
• Protests continued in the area for five days, with the gay community voicing their anger and resentment towards the police and the laws that oppressed them.