Premieres Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV / KPBS+. Revisit New York in 1970, when student protestors against the Vietnam War violently clashed with construction workers, ushering in a new political and cultural divide that would redefine the American political landscape.
Hardhats take the steps on May 8, 1970. Construction workers breaking up an antiwar rally at the Subtreasury Building. New York City. May 8, 1970.On May 8, 1970, “the Hard Hat Riot” erupted in lower Manhattan.
At midday, construction workers, including those building the World Trade Center, violently clashed with students demonstrating against the Vietnam War. It was soon clear that something larger was happening — the workmen, who came to be known asWith the war in Vietnam raging on, it was the sons of the working class who were doing most of the fighting. Workmen saw the protesting students as privilegedOn the other side, many student activists saw the workers as pawns, unwilling to see the changes that America needed.tells the story of a struggling metropolis, a flailing president, a divided people, and a bloody juncture when the nation violently diverged ― culminating in a new political and cultural landscape that radically redefined American politics and foreshadowed the future. The film is based in part on the critically acclaimed book had been brought to its knees by urban upheaval, from crippling transit and sanitation strikes to soaring crime. It was still a working-class city but was already suffering the effects of deindustrialization. The city’soffered a reprieve — the southern face of Manhattan was being remade, including the building of the World Trade Center. The city was also a center of the counterculture and anti-war student protesters, who rallied in Lower Manhattan at the heart of Wall Street, scarcely aware of the workers watching from the half-built skyscrapers above.President Nixon’s expansion of the war into Cambodia. On May 7, thousands of mourners gathered in New York for the funeral of Jeffrey Miller, one of the Kent State Four who was from Long Island. Afterward, throngs of students headed down to Wall Street, leading to a small clash with workers. Few realized far worse would soon come.By Noon on May 8, hundreds of construction workers descended from their towers and surrounded a student demonstration on Wall Street. Student activists had the loudspeaker and, initially, the numbers. The hardhats unfurled a massive American flag and many Wall Street workers cheered. Then, a student activist waved a Vietcong flag. Suddenly, the construction workers surged forward, leading to a violent confrontation that revealed an emerging class fault line that became "Hard Hat Riot" is told through candid interviews with many of the workers and protestors who were there, as well as footage of the riot that has not been seen by the public until now. In addition, the film includeslargely overlooked footage from that week filmed by and featuring an idealistic group of New York University film students and professors, including director. Designed for ease and enjoyment everywhere you watch including Roku, smart TVs and mobile devices. It’s locally curated for San Diego by the KPBS programming team. With a clean and intuitive design, discovering and enjoying KPBS and PBS content on-demand has never been easier. You can also tune in live to watch our four TV channels in real time: KPBS, KPBS 2, Create, KPBS Kids 24/7. We also added a new channel - FNX .works on KPBS+ too! You’ll have access to even more great shows when you simply log in with your KPBS Passport account.was a garbage collector before earning a PHD at Georgetown University. He was selected by President Richard Nixon as a liaison to blue-collar, working-class communities.worked for the downtown law firm of Sullivan & Cromwell. On may 8, he took his lunch break to see what was causing the commotion and was beaten by a group of hardhats.was a student at NYU film school in 1970. he and his fellow students were filming a group of construction workers when some of them confronted them, and Bolles was beaten.is Professor of History , Queens College and the Graduate Center, Cuny, and author of"Working-Class New York: Life and Labor Since World War Iwas a 27-year-old electrician when he led a midtown workers’ rally during the outpouring of blue-collar activism in May 1970.JIM VERMEULEN was a police officer on an NYPD Special Events Squad, which was trained in crowd control. He was in the middle of the action when the construction workers attacked the students.“What makes this film unique is how, by allowing both the students and the construction workers to explain their feelings and motivations, 55 years later and without judgment, we come to understand both sides,” “And, as this incredibly powerful film shows, this was not just an early flashpoint in the culture wars that are so familiar to us now, but actually a tipping point in American politics, when the formerly solidly democratic working class began to be wooed and won over by the Republican party.”Jen is a web producer at KPBS, responsible for program promotion, membership-related activities, and is the editor of the KPBS community calendar. Jen has worked at KPBS since 2000. She is originally from Las Vegas and attended UNLV.Why It Matters: What to expect when San Diego votes on raising water ratesKPBS keeps you informed with local stories you need to know about — with no paywall. 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