Bikers Riot in New Hampshire

June 19, 1965 - With bayonets fixed, National Guardsmen and police tonight broke up a riot involving hundreds of motorcycle enthusiasts who have gathered in Laconia, New Hampshire, for races in nearby Loudon.

As many as 10,000 people were on Weirs Beach when the riot broke out.

Authorities said at least 30 persons were injured, some of them seriously.

The night supervisor at Laconia Hospital said the “injured are coming in so fast, we can’t get organized.” She said one person had suffered a gunshot wound in the cheek and others were “badly injured,” suffering broken bones and fractured skulls.

Police said “many persons” had been arrested. “They’re being brought in by the dozens,” one policeman said.

Governor John King ordered that a minimum of $500 bail be set for those persons arrested.

The riot apparently started when a motorist attempted to pass through a line-up of Canadian cyclists who were starting an impromptu drag race.

The car was overturned and set afire. Twenty minutes later, flames from the automobile could still be seen shooting skyward, in front of the Mt. Washington excursion boat dock.

Other cars along the waterfront boulevard were smoking, and many windows were smashed by rocks, beer bottles, and cans filled with sand.

One youth, believed from Cambridge, Mass., who lay bleeding in the street from a severe head injury, murmured: “I didn’t do anything. I was with my girl and my motorcycle. I was just parked.”

For an hour, shotgun blasts mixed with sirens sent the community into a state of panic.

Tear gas hung heavy at the Rte. 3 end of the beach where Guardsmen lined up 40 abreast, with bayonets pointed forward, firing canisters into the air to disperse the crowds. 

Some reports indicated that a bowling alley had been set afire by the rioters. Police said the Half Moon restaurant was set aflame. Firemen had difficulty reaching the fires because of the crowds in the area.

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