Site : Trinity Place

Source : http://www.pappadish.com

1968/69 The Construction Workers' Riot In the late sixties Trinity church had a coffee house across the street in the back on Trinity Place. i was a political protest singer. And i had a b audition on the day that organized groups of construction workers came down from various building sites to disrupt a planned peaceful Wall street anti-war demonstration. This incident has come to be known as the construction workers' riot. Someone came in to tell us that the auditions had been cancelled and to let us know about the mayhem that was taking place on the streets. It's still a bit emotional for me to talk about it. We went into the church and found people our age who had their arms in slings, bloodied, bandages on their heads, and many people who were just very shook up. There were also quite a few older business men who looked like they might have been parishioners who seemed stunned by what had transpired. The clergies were scurrying around looking very worried. At one point rioters tried to break down the door into the church. Since I had come for an audition I had my guitar with me and we asked if we can have the PA system. I did a set of anti-wart songs. I particularly remember playing Bon Dylan's maters of war to knowing audience of protesters and an astonished audience of business men. It was the best audience I ever had. I felt I've been put in that place to perform that song to that audience. That's my recollection and I've never stopped doing political protest.

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