Skip to content
TrackPodcasts
historySep 1, 20261:25pending

1 September 1974: Newark Labour Day riots

About this episode

On this day, 1 September 1974, Puerto Rican attendees at a Labour Day event in Newark, New Jersey rioted against police after years of brutality, as well as poor living and economic standards. An argument between festival goers and police escalated when an officer's horse knocked over a game table. The police department mobilized virtually its entire 1,500‐member force as hostilities and tensions from the fighting spilled into the streets, which further increased tensions, resulting in rocks and bottles being thrown at police over the course of the next three days. At least 16 people were injured in the late‐afternoon fighting and three men were admitted to hospitals with gunshot wounds, two of them in serious condition on the first day of the riots. 
More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/8161/newark-puerto-rican-riots

Our work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.

Get every episode summarized

Each time On This Day in Working Class History publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.

Email me new episodes

Free for 3 shows. No card needed.

Hosts & guests

No transcript yet

This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.

1 September 1974: Newark Labour Day riots

On This Day in Working Class History

0:00
1:25

More episodes

More from On This Day in Working Class History

View all episodes →