Tompkins Square Park: Operation Class War on the Lower East Side (1992)

This dynamic and captivating documentary-style production pieces together the unofficial story behind the Riot of ’88 and reveals the ugly side of forced gentrification in New York City. The production traces the transformation of Tompkins Square Park from being a tent city for homeless people and bastion of free expression for artists, bohemians, rebels and crazies, to becoming a central battleground in the fiercely contested class war over the Lower East Side; to a riot scene complete with burning trash cans and unwarranted police violence; to an empty, fenced-in wasteland; and finally, to the safe and sterile environment it is today. The production features passionate interviews with people who made their home in Tompkins Square Park in the 80’s and those that defended their right to do so, as well as guerilla footage from the riots, rallies and protests that occurred in and around the park.