The violent 1970 clash between student protestors and construction workers in downtown NY.

Hard Hat Riot American Experience

Premiered September 30, 2025
Hard Hat Riot

On May 8, 1970, construction workers in NYC violently clashed with students protesting the Vietnam War, signaling the emergence of a new kind of class divide. Hard Hat Riot chronicles a struggling city, a flailing president, and a bloody juncture when the nation diverged ― culminating in a new political and cultural landscape that radically redefined American politics. FROM AMERICAN EXPERIENCE.

About the Program

American Experience

American Experience, TV's most-watched history series, brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.

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