Culture, Not Deindustrialization, Drove Riot

The article argues the 1970 Hard Hat Riot in New York was fueled less by lost factory jobs and more by patriotic grievance and class contempt—workers reacting to anti‑war protest symbols (e.g., North Vietnamese flags) and elite disdain. It critiques the PBS film’s 'deindustrialization' frame by noting the hard hats were employed on the World Trade Center and that economic pain peaked later. — It cautions that today’s working‑class backlash may be driven more by perceived cultural disrespect than by economics alone, informing strategy for parties and media.