Dozens of marchers paraded through downtown Asheville Saturday afternoon to mark the 39th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. The group looked like it was having fun. They were passing out leaflets for an after-party Saturday night at the Wedge.
The Stonewall Inn was the site of the famous Stonewall riots of 1969, which have come to symbolize the beginning of the gay liberation movement in the United States. It is located at 53 Christopher Street, between West 4th St. and Waverly Place, in Greenwich Village, New York City. Stonewall is regarded as the single most important event that led to the modern movement for gay and lesbian issues. (The riots continued for four nights.)
On Friday evening, June 27, 1969, the New York City tactical police force raided a popular Greenwich Village gay bar, the Stonewall Inn. Raids were not unusual in 1969; in fact, they were conducted regularly without much resistance. However, that night the street erupted into violent protest as the crowds in the bar fought back. The backlash and several nights of protest that followed have come to be known as the Stonewall Riots.