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Behind The Lines - The Untold Story of the Cincinnati Riots
Behind The Lines - The Untold Story of the Cincinnati Riots Author:Peter Bronson April 7-14, 2001, Cincinnati, Ohio is torn apart. Sparked by police shooting in a dark alleyway, long-simmering frustrations boiled over as citizens stormed City Council chambers, and finding no answers there, took to the streets to vent their political anger on shopkeepers, unwary motorists, and the police. The stories that spilled out of the... more » Queen City appeared nationally, on the front page of newspapers, including The New York Times, and on TV and radio broadcasts. Almost as scripted, the violence came to a halt on Good Friday, 2001 and the whole episode seemingly disappeared into the shadows of September 11th five months later. Now, five years later, untold stories of what took place at the eye of the storm and behind the scenes have finally emerged. As issues linger in city politics and neighborhoods, it's a story that needs to be told, talked about, and revisited in hopes of creating a beter city going forward. In clear-eyed and balanced reporting, veteran newsman and Cincinnati Enquirer columnist Peter Bronson circled back to get the story from the people who were on the front lines - the police, the politicians and the people on the street. In their words and actions, the reader will see that the real story of what happened that week in April, as well as in the months before and after, is different from what was reported then. Bronson gains access to the inner sanctums of political leaders and renegade activists to fill the stage with perspectives not captured in the fray. Most of all, readers will gain a vantage point from the center of the turmoil as the cops who put their lives on the line to protect the city are often misled, not listened to, or stifled by bureaucracy and cowardice. This is an important chapter in the city's history, with critical lessons for any city that hopes to avoid similar mistakes.« less