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Humboldt Park riot
DateJune 4 - 5, 1977
Location
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Parties
Puerto Rican Chicago residents
Chicago Police
Casualties and losses

Killed: 3

Wounded: 97

Arrested: 164
Wounded: 56[1]

The Humboldt Park riot was the second major conflict between Puerto Ricans in Chicago and the Chicago Police Department. The riot began on June 4, 1977 and lasted a day and a half.[2] Following the shooting deaths of two Puerto Rican men, locals (mostly young Puerto Ricans) battled Chicago police officers in Humboldt Park (Chicago park) and in the streets surrounding. The riot led the community to hold the Division Street Puerto Rican Day Parade,[3] which started in 1978.[4]

Background

See also: Puerto Ricans in Chicago.

Between harsh conditions on the island of Puerto Rico and incentives to come to mainland America, Puerto Rican migration to Chicago spiked during the 1950s and 60s.[5]Then, Puerto Rican communities in the city were displaced by highway construction, urban renewal, and public housing projects. The Puerto Rican population moved from the Near West Side and the Near North Side to West Town and Humboldt Park, Chicago, which were white working class neighborhoods, filled with European immigrants and their children. New Puerto Rican arrivals joined the new Puerto Rican enclaves in West Town and Humboldt Park.[6] By 1960, 25% of the city's Puerto Rican population lived in West Town.[7] Most Puerto Ricans faced racial tensions with their white neighbors and especially with white authorities. They encountered police brutality, high unemployment, housing discrimination and poor housing conditions, and poverty.[8]

1966 Division St. Riots

Main article: Division Street Riots

Beginning on June 12, 1966, the Division Street riots rocked Humboldt Park, Chicago. Puerto Ricans were gathered in the streets, celebrating after a parade downtown.[9] The celebration was in honor of St. John the Baptist, for whom San Juan, Puerto Rico is named.[10] In 1966, the parade for this celebration was officially renamed the Puerto Rican Parade.[11] The riot began after a white police officer shot and wounded a young Puerto Rican man, and continued for three days, in spite of police efforts. The riot signified the difficult conditions Puerto Ricans faced in Chicago, including high unemployment, low income, racial discrimination, poor housing, and inadequate education.[12] In the aftermath of the riot, new community organizations and community leaders more actively engaged in city politics to work to improve conditions for Puerto Ricans in Chicago.[13]

However, according to a University of Chicago study, in the years following the 1966 riot, Puerto Ricans ranked police relations as their second biggest problem (the first was unemployment).[14] Although community members spent a decade working for better conditions, in 1977, Puerto Ricans in Chicago still faced myriad issues. They experienced displacement, housing discrimination, racism, unemployment, poor housing, poverty, and police brutality.[8]

FALN bombing

On June 4, 1977, several hours before the Humboldt Park riot, a bomb went off on the fifth floor of the Cook County Building,[15] outside the offices of acting Mayor Michael Anthony Bilandic and George Dunne, the president of the Cook County Commission.[16] No one was harmed, but the blast blew out windows and caused $6,000 in damages.[17] FALN (Puerto Rico), a separatist group for Puerto Rican independence, claimed credit via a phone call to radio station WBBM-FM.[15] The following year, the committee in charge of the Puerto Rican Parade moved the parade date to June 24 to avoid possible associations between June 4 bombings and the parade.[18]

Riot

The details of the beginning of the riot are contentious. It began in Humboldt Park (Chicago park) on June 4, 1977, after the Puerto Rican Day Parade.[19]The festivities are misattributed in some print news as a celebration for "Puerto Rican Independence Day."[20][16] Violence began around 6 o'clock in the evening and lasted until around midnight.[16] The riot began in Humboldt Park itself, near the intersection of Division Street and California Avenue.[20]

According to the police, the violence began with gang-related shooting in the park. Police Superintendent James M. Rochford issued a nine-page report on June 14, 1977, which declared that seven other people in the park were hurt by gang gunfire before the police began shooting.[21] The gangs in question were the rival Puerto Rican street gangs the Latin Kings and the Spanish Cobras.[20] Sergeant Thomas Walton shot and killed Julio Osorio, 26. Rafael Cruz, 25, was also killed by a bullet from Sgt. Walton's gun.[21] Preliminary autopsy reports showed both Osorio and Cruz were shot in the back.[22]

According to the Chicago Tribune, late Saturday afternoon, police arrived to Humboldt Park to break up gang-related fighting. When police were arresting one of the combatants, the young man resisted, and "picnickers became angry and began hurling objects."[23]The New York Times printed that following the shooting of Osorio and Cruz, the police tried to close the park and "were met with a barrage of bricks, bottles, stones, sticks and chairs. But Hispanic witnesses charged that policemen stormed the park with nightsticks and attacked many picnickers, including families with children."[16] The account continues to state that the riot escalated because police were outnumbered (Chicago police officers were stationed in large numbers at Soldier Field for a rock concert that day).[16]

[Family version]

During the first day of the riot, two people were killed, approximately 3,000 people were involved,[23] 116 people were injured, 119 were arrested,[20] and 38 police officers and 3 firefighters were injured.[24] Rioters threw rocks, bottles, and Molotov cocktails. The police department reported that 17 police cars and trucks were damaged during the riot. [20] One police officer was seen setting fire to a fallen Puerto Rican flag, waving the burning flag, and stepping on it.[25]

Acting mayor Michael Bilandic came to Humboldt Park and the riot area for about 15 minutes after the violence died down, late Saturday night. Police helicopters hovered over the Division Street area during the riot. Approximately 200 police officers in riot gear, some on horseback, worked to clear the streets. However, as soon as the police moved on to another area, the crowd would return.[15]

On Sunday morning, police set up a command post in the park as firefighters and public works crews cleaned the area. The buildup of police and the activity drew a crowd of hundreds of people, mostly young. Minor vandalism and looting began in the afternoon, and police asked bars and businesses to close.[16]Rioters threw rocks, bottles, and molotov cocktails for the second night in a row.[22]

Car chase with the police

During the riot on Sunday night, 23 year-old Luis Velasquez ran down police Sergeant William Diaz. Velasquez took off, and engaged in a chase with the police that reached speeds of 80 m.p.h.. Velasquez was arrested and charged with two counts of attempted murder, aggravated battery, reckless driving, resisting arrest, and possession of controlled substances.[22]

Fires

According to a witness, by evening, the police closed off the streets surrounding Division and California. People ran through this area to avoid confrontation with the police. Others were scared, as a building fire burned, while the fire department did not respond or work to control the blaze.[26] Official accounts explain that firefighters were not sent in to control the fires because the police could not guarantee their safety.[15]These fires left 15 families homeless.[16]

Four days after the riot, the body of Domingo Torres Claudio, 62, was found in the rubble of the grocery store below the apartment where he lived. On Saturday night, rioters looted the grocery store, then started a fire. When the fire department came, rioters shot at the firefighters. The building burned while the police and fire departments regrouped. Claudio was a retired factory worker and lived alone.[27]

Aftermath

After the riot, police Superintendent Rochford issued a gag order, preventing police officers from discussing the events in Humboldt Park.[28] Official cleanup of the park began on Monday, and three civilian cars were removed from the lagoon.[22]

Members of neighborhood gangs complained of police harassment after the riot. The increased, confrontational policing maintained the tense conditions that led to the riot.[29] A week after the riot, to protest police harassment, Puerto Rican community members held a march from the riot area to the Daley Center, where they held a rally. About 300 people marched, and Maria Cruz, sister of the late Rafael Cruz, spoke at the rally.[30]

In the week following the riot, community members of Humboldt Park met with acting mayor Michael Anthony Bilandic to discuss the weekend's riot. After waiting three hours, the Humboldt Park residents had 20 minutes with the mayor. Puerto Rican community leaders also met with Chicago police officials and Department of Human Services officials for two hours, and expressed their concerns about the community.[10] The city government's only direct response to the riot was a grant of $471,000 to fund community service jobs.[18]

Mayor Bilandic appointed deputy commissioner Hugh Osborne and Deputy Police Superintendent Samuel Nolan to represent the city in meetings with Latino community groups, following the riots. Osborne and Nolan fielded the concerns and demands of Puerto Rican community leaders on behalf of the city. Among these demands were more summer jobs in the West Town community, which were initially cut back in the budget.[31]

PR identity in Chicago in response to colonialism[32]

While the 1966 Division Street riots were seen as a turning point in Puerto Rican community action,[33] according to community leader Rev. Jorge Morales, the riot made the community more apathetic about civic involvement. The increased media attention and coverage of Puerto Rican community issues following the riot did not result in changes or improvements.[18]Michael Rodríguez Muñiz, on the other hand, argued years later that the aftermath of the riot created "a radical consciousness" among Puerto Ricans in Chicago.

See also

Further reading

  • Fernandez, Lilia. Brown in the Windy City. University of Chicago Press, 2012.
  • Padilla, Felix M. Puerto Rican Chicago. University of Notre Dame Press, 1987.
  • Cruz, Wilfredo. Puerto Rican Chicago. Arcadia Publishing, 2004.

References

  1. ^ Casey, Jim and Larry Weintraub, "Rochford backs cop who shot 2 in riot." Chicago Sun-Times. July 15, 1977.
  2. ^ "A Community Tries to Hold Its Ground". WBEZ. Retrieved 2017-04-11.
  3. ^ Laviera, Jesús Tato. “'77 PR Chicago Riot.” Afro-Hispanic Review, vol. 26, no. 2, 2007, pp. 145–183., www.jstor.org/stable/23054627.
  4. ^ "La Negra of Chicago's Puerto Rican People's Parade". La Respuesta. 2015-06-20. Retrieved 2017-03-20.
  5. ^ Cruz, Wilfredo (2004). Puerto Rican Chicago. Arcadia Publishing. p. 9.
  6. ^ Fernandez, Lilia. Brown in the Windy City. University of Chicago Press, 2012. p. 132-133.
  7. ^  Fernandez, Lilia. Brown in the Windy City. University of Chicago Press, 2012. p. 150.
  8. ^ a b Fernandez, Lilia. Brown in the Windy City. University of Chicago Press, 2012. p. 134.
  9. ^ "Neighborhood fight ; Activists push to keep Puerto Rican pride alive in Humboldt Park". Chicago Tribune. June 12, 2006 – via Proquest.
  10. ^ a b "Bilandic, Latinos, meet about riots". Chicago Tribune. June 7, 1977 – via Proquest. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  11. ^ "Puerto Ricans". www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  12. ^ Padilla, Felix M. (1987). Puerto Rican Chicago. University of Notre Dame Press. p. 145-147.
  13. ^ Padilla, Felix M. (1987). Puerto Rican Chicago. University of Notre Dame Press. p. 155.
  14. ^ Fernandez, Lilia (2012). Brown in the Windy City. University of Chicago Press. p. 169.
  15. ^ a b c d The Associated Press (1977-06-05). "2 KILLED, 49 INJURED IN CHICAGO VIOLENCE". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-04-07.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g Times, Paul Delaney Special To The New York (1977-06-06). "LOOTING, VANDALISM FOLLOW CHICAGO RIOT". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-03-28.
  17. ^ Times, Special To The New York (1977-09-08). "Woman Is Charged In F.A.L.N.Blast". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-04-07.
  18. ^ a b c Suro, Roberto (June 4, 1978). "Humboldt Pk.: 'Community without dreams'". Chicago Tribune – via Proquest. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  19. ^ "Equal justice under the rug: how police botched the Humboldt Park riot". Chicago Reader. August 5, 1977. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  20. ^ a b c d e Lowe, Frederick, and Blakley, Derrick. (June 6, 1977). "2d day of Humboldt riots". Chicago Tribune – via Proquest. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  21. ^ a b Casey, Jim, and Larry Weintraub (June 15, 1977). "Rochford backs cop who shot 2 in riot". Chicago Sun-Times. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  22. ^ a b c d Ziomek, Jon, and Jim Casey (June 7, 1977). "Humboldt Park gets a cleanup". Chicago Sun-Times. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  23. ^ a b Lowe, F., &, Blakley, D (June 5, 1977). "Humboldt Park riot". Chicago Tribune – via Proquest. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  24. ^ "Outbreak of Violence Leave 2 Dead, 70 Injured in Chicago". The Washington Post. June 6, 1977. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  25. ^ “1977 Division Street Riots,” Que Ondee Sola. Vol. 35 No. 4, April-May 2007. Northeastern Illinois University. via Harold Washington Library Special Collections. p. 4.
  26. ^ Ramos-Zayas, Ana Y. (2003-07-15). National Performances: The Politics of Class, Race, and Space in Puerto Rican Chicago. University of Chicago Press. p. 251. ISBN 9780226703596.
  27. ^ Miner, Michael (June 10, 1977). "Find body of 3d riot victim in debris of burnt building". Chicago Sun-Times. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  28. ^ Humboldt pk.--troubled 'island' without clout. (1977, Jun 12). Chicago Tribune (1963-Current File) - via Proquest.
  29. ^ Suro, Roberto, and Jon Ziomek (June 8, 1977). "Sweater Symbol in Humboldt area". Chicago Sun-Times. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  30. ^ Suro, Roberto (June 12, 1977). "Marchers protest police role in riot". Chicago Sun-Times. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  31. ^ Warren, Ellen, and Michelle Stevens (June 7, 1977). "City Pledges More Latino Summer Jobes". Chicago Tribune. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  32. ^ Rinaldo, Rachel (2002-01-01). "Space of Resistance: The Puerto Rican Cultural Center and Humboldt Park". Cultural Critique (50): 135–174.
  33. ^ "Neighborhood fight ; Activists push to keep Puerto Rican pride alive in Humboldt Park". Chicago Tribune. June 12, 2006 – via Proquest.
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