10. The Tompkins Square Riots

The first riots to occur in the East Village at Tompkins Square Park was during an 1874 depression. Workers demanded government help and public works programs to alleviate their crumbling livelihoods. Workers gathered in the park on January 13th. Police responded with force but the workers fought back. Panic spread throughout the rest of the day.

Tompkins Square was home to riots again in 1988 when police tried to enforce a 1 am curfew to discourage the massive numbers of homeless people living in the park. The police tried first on July 31st and returned on August 6th with force, sparking rioting.

Next, read about how a 19th-century mob of arsonists burned down the Staten Island Quarantine Hospital.