AP+P2+2014-15+Rabbit+Inn+Incident

Adriano - Aim:  The Rabbit Inn Incident was an event that occurred in South Boston when a white Catholic threw a brick through a Tactical Police Force cruiser. They did this because the TPF was supporting the desegregation of Boston at the time, and whenever a bus full of African-American children passed by the Rabbit Inn they would throw stones. When the individual threw a brick through the window of the police cruiser, TPF chased him down until he managed to escape into the Rabbit Inn, where patrons forced TPF officers away and allowed the perpetrator to escape. The next day, TPF forces responded to a “call of a fellow TPF member in distress” (Taylor). However, many believe that it was actually a “retaliatory raid,” damaging $20,000 worth of property within the inn and sending 10 patrons to the hospital. This event was one of the epitome’s of racism at the time in the area, and it’s important to remember it because this was a standoff between police and citizens over race.

DeSario, Frankie. Badge #1: True Stories from a Boston Cop. N.P., 2007. Web. Taylor, Steven. Desegregation in Boston and Buffalo: The Influence of Local Leaders. New York: Suny Press, 1998. Web.

Audience: Elizabeth Fagan



The Rabbit Inn incident was intended to reach out to the community as a whole and protect one of their own from the Tactical Police Force. The TPF went into the neighborhood and and claimed a church as its headquarters (Taylor 139). When a brick was thrown into the window of a TPF car, and the suspect ran into the Rabbit Inn. When the TPF ran in after the suspect, the patrons protected the offenders and the police left. However, “ the next night the TPF raided the bar, caused $20,000 in damage, and sent ten patrons to the hospital. The police said they were responding to a call of trouble from the saloon, but most in Southie thought the raid was retaliation. ” (Chesson 1). The TPF went around and terrorized the Southie community, often targeting people of different races (Chesson 1). The people of Southie saw the TPF as a threat, and the Rabbit Inn incident allowed tension between the people and the TPF grow exponentially.

Chesson, Michael. "The Athens of America." American History News Network. 16 Apr. 2011. Web. 3 Nov. 2014.

Taylor, Steven J. L. "Trouble at South Boston High School." Desegregation in Boston and Buffalo the Influence of Local  Leaders. Albany, N.Y.: State U of New York, 1998. 139. Print.

Cultural: ME!, not you.

Sydney Miller



The Rabbit Inn incident was an example of TPF brutality. They were known for being brutal to blacks, but the Rabbit Inn incident showed that their brutality was not confined to just blacks. This event would have been proof of police brutality in this area however “the Boston police department offered few comment about the incident other than to say that TPF members entered the bar on October 5 in response to a report that an officer was in trouble” (Taylor 139). This and other events like this affected the cultural atmosphere by making the community that was receiving this brutality even tighter. They were already a very tight community but after this they came together and resented the TPF even more. This and other events like it are what caused the Southie community to become so tight and resistant to outside influence. This resistance resulted in the community going downhill, since they were not influenced by anything including anything good. Events like this are what caused the community to resent outer influences and grow tighter together in the first place which is what caused the community to become so stagnant.

Works Cited:

Saba, Paul. Boston Busing Struggle Sharpens. Encyclopedia of Anti-Revisionism On-Line, 1974. Print.

Taylor, Steven J. L. Desegregation in Boston and Buffalo: The Influence of Local Leaders. Albany, N.Y: State University of New York Press, 1998. Internet resource.

Rabbit Inn Incident: Historical Analysis & Context: Gabe Kardos


 * 1) [[image:https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/QdvY9BgTnMTKAOmlshgwBzvFOFSFWfyjk-qY12fXLA6sEtLgS0flv3QrVh8blfi4RXLoYk0RtAu-ihidwyYrwohQSwoo8jNkA-fMFAes5hLArDcIWdTEWooHgoFiIboIXw caption="We Want White Tenants in Our White Community.jpeg"]]
 * 2) __Analysis__: The Rabbit Inn Incident occurred on October 5, 1974 as a consequence of desegregation in South Boston. The incident started on October 4 when a brick was thrown through the window of a Tactical Police Force (TPF) cruiser, and "three TPF officers pursued the brick thrower into the Rabbit Inn, where patrons assaulted them and the culprit escaped" (Chesson). The evening of October 5, the TPF raided the bar and "caused $20,000 in damage, and sent ten patrons to the hospital" (Chesson). The Rabbit Inn Incident is one of innumerable examples of violence committed by Americans against fellow Americans during this time period in South Boston. The Tactical Police Force, an elite riot squad, is clearly indicated as having been largely influenced by the violence in the city. The Rabbit Inn Incident is the result of a random act of violence that also involved the authorities. Many of these acts of violence stem from the desegregation of South Boston as numerous white residents believed that blacks were taking over their schools and their community. Most South Boston residents believe however that the police raid on the bar was retaliation for the violence committed against them and their inability to bring justice to crime.
 * 3) Works Cited

Chesson, Michael. "The Athens of America." The American History News Network. American College of History and Legal Studies, 16 April 2011. Web. 4 November 2014.

Saba, Paul. "Boston Busing Struggle Sharpens." Encyclopedia of Anti-Revisionism On-Line. The Encyclopedia of anti-Revisionism On-Line. November 1974. Web. 4 November 2014.

Historical: Thomas Van Atta On October 4th 1974 in Boston Massachusetts, a member of the The Tactical Police force or TPF, in response to a brick being thrown at a police cruiser window, entered into the Rabbit Inn attempting to arrest the offender. When the TPF officer entered the Inn the patrons defended the offender against the officer, preventing the arrest. On the following evening TPF officers entered the bar and began to vandalize and beat patrons in response to the previous night's transgression. The Boston Police Department stated only that the TPF officers entered the bar on report of an officer needing assistance. The brutality of the TPF is in response to the recent desegregation and violence in South Boston. The TPF response to a smaller act of violence, to a brick being thrown, resulted in a whopping $20,000 in damage and it sent 10 patrons of the bar to the hospital. The violence shows the extent at which boston's racial tension and over response of the police has spilled into overreaction.

Chesson, Michael. "The Athens of America." American History News Network. 16 Apr. 2011. Web. 3 Nov. 2014.

Taylor, Steven J. L. "Trouble at South Boston High School." Desegregation in Boston and Buffalo the Influence of Local Leaders. Albany, N.Y.: State U of New York, 1998. 139. Print.