April 2, 1967: 57 years ago, April 2 1967, over a hundred San Francisco police attacked [...]

57 years ago, April 2 1967, over a hundred San Francisco police attacked an impromptu gathering of around 2,000 “hippies” in the Haight-Ashbury district, beating many and arresting 32 people

No event had been planned for the day. Small groups of young people came out to enjoy the beautiful Spring day and began to have a party in the street. The gathering quickly swelled in size, and local bohemian anarchist group the Diggers closed off the block to traffic

They began to parade through the neighborhood chanting “This is our street!” and “We are free!” SFPD declared the scene a riot and began attacking random young people with nightsticks, pushing one reveler through a window. That night, 150 people protested at the SFPD Park Station