Stonewall gay bar raid

On June 28,in the late hours of the night, a routine police raid of a gay bar called Stonewall Inn sparked the fire that fueled the first wave of the Gay Pride Movement in NYC. On the evening of the raid, approximately people occupied the bar.

How the Stonewall Uprising Ignited the Modern LGBTQ Rights Movement

Located at 53 Christopher Street, in Greenwich Village, the bar became home to many types of society outcasts: gay men, drag queens, the transgendered, members of the mafia, hustlers and homeless youths. Initially, most patrons were cooperative, left the bar as instructed and waited patiently as the police arrested several mafia members inside.

Within a few minutes, police began asking for identification. Female officers escorted cross-dressing individuals to the restrooms to verify their sex, which led to several arrests. After seeing several gay men and women being arrested, the crowd gathered outside of the bar became increasingly agitated.

As more patrol vehicles arrived, they began shouting at the officers: "Gay Power! Inside the bar some people were being beaten by the cops. One women arrested was hit over the head by a police officer with a billy club. She encited the crowd into action by asking them to "Do Something!