White Night riots following the Dan White verdict

On May 21, 1979, thousands of protesters converged on San Francisco City Hall and the Civic Center area after the jury returned a verdict and light sentence for Dan White in the killings of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. Clashes between demonstrators and police resulted in injuries and significant property damage around the Civic Center. The unrest prompted national attention and remains a pivotal event in the city's LGBTQ and political history.