Hard Hat Riot poster

Hard Hat Riot

The clash over Vietnam that swung blue collar voters to the right.

7.0(1)20251h 21m1

On May 8, 1970, construction workers violently clashed with students demonstrating against the Vietnam War in lower Manhattan. The workmen, who came to be known as “hardhats,” were at the cutting edge of a new kind of class war. With the war in Vietnam raging on, it was the sons of the working class who were doing most of the fighting. Workmen saw the protesting students as privileged “draft dodgers” disparaging the country and those who fought for it. On the other side, many student activists saw the workers as pawns, unwilling to see the changes that America needed. Hard Hat Riot tells the story of a struggling metropolis, a flailing president, a divided people, and a bloody juncture when the nation violently diverged ― culminating in a new political and cultural landscape that radically redefined American politics and foreshadowed the future.

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  • TMDB

    7.0/10

    1 votes

Status
Released
Budget
—
Box office
—
Language
English
  • vietnam war
  • richard nixon
  • conservatism

Top billed cast

Behind the camera

Director

Marc Levin

Produced in

United States of America

Where to watch

Availability for United States. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.

Stream

  • PBS Documentaries Amazon Channel logoPBS Documentaries Amazon Channel

Gallery

Still from Hard Hat RiotStill from Hard Hat Riot

Videos

Release dates

  • United StatesUS

    • TV30 Sept 2025

Frequently asked questions

Hard Hat Riot was released on 30 September 2025.

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