109 - Flow My Beers, the Policemen Said

We discuss the largely forgotten story of one of the largest riots in New York City history. In September 1992, some 10,000 off duty NYPs descended upon City Hall in a racially charged and drunken protest/riot, with their fury directed at Mayor David Dinkens, NYC's first and so far only Black mayor. We take a look at the details of the bizarre spectacle of off duty and on duty cops meeting at a bit of an "awkward" crossroads during the riot, the historical context of the event, and the instrumental role of the vile figure of Rudolph "9/11" "Don't-Call-Italians-Fascist" Giuliani.

Support: patreon.com/heatdeathpod

General Recommendations

• JD's Recommendation: Bad Religion - Let Them Eat War
• JNM's Recommendations: 1) The Vanguard Live with Abby Martin 2) “Here’s the awful truth: even if every person, every automobile, and every factory suddenly emitted zero emissions, the earth would still be headed—head first and at full speed—toward total disaster for one major reason: the US military.” —Barry Sanders, earthsgreatestenemy.com

Further Reading, Viewing, Listening

• In 1992, thousands of furious, drunken cops descended on City Hall — and changed New York history
• Rudy Giuliani’s 1992 police riot
• Crowd psychology
• Groupthink
• Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds by Charles Mackay
• The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind by Gustave Le Bon
• Rudy Giuliani Is Accused Of Inciting A Riot. It’s Not The First Time
• Officers Rally And Dinkins Is Their Target (1992 NYT Article)
• Rudy’s Racist Rants: An NYPD History Lesson
• Dinkins Denounces Police Protest As Furthering an Image of Racism
• WATCH: Did You Know Rudy Giuliani Helped Start A Police Riot In 1992?
• On My Mind; The Drug Papers by A. M. Rosenthal

Locationless Locations

• heatdeathpod.com
• Every show-related link is corralled and available here.
• Twitter: @heatdeathpod
• Please send all Letters of Derision, Indifference, Inquiry, Mild Elation, et cetera to:

Send us a text

Support the show