Important Protests and Riots That Changed the World Forever

21. Riots in Detroit, 1967

During the “Long, hot summer of 1967” – a series of 159 riots against racial discrimination breaking out in the United States – the Detroit Riot of 1967 was the bloodiest confrontation between the city’s black residents and the police department.

Lasting 5 days, the riots caused unseen destruction of property and violence that marred the nation. The immediate involvement of the army resulted in deaths on both sides, with more than a thousand injured, over 7,000 arrests and 2,000 buildings destroyed.

Featured widely in media – including live coverage and newspaper reporting –the Detroit Riots lived on in pop culture and art, giving rise to many popular songs and surviving in TV shows and movies.