22 February 1974: riots break out at the “Patty Hearst ransom” food handouts

On this day in 1974, people rioted at food distribution centres in San Francisco, set up as part of a ransom payment for kidnapped heiress Patty Hearst.

Patricia, or Patty Hearst
(Image credit: Bettmann / Getty Images)

The "Symbionese Liberation Army" (SLA) was rag-tag group of idealistic losers, led by ex-con Donald DeFreeze. DeFreeze claimed to want all of the world's multifarious leftist factions to unite, and the world to live together as one in peace, man. Unfortunately, he wasn't above beating, raping and killing people to achieve his version of peace.

On 4 February 1974, the SLA abducted 19-year-old Patricia Hearst, a student at the University of California at Berkeley, from her home. She was targeted because she was the granddaughter of publishing tycoon Randolph Hearst. The SLA kept her confined to a cupboard for days, while physically and sexually abusing her before finally demanding a ransom.

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Ben Judge

Ben studied modern languages at London University's Queen Mary College. After dabbling unhappily in local government finance for a while, he went to work for The Scotsman newspaper in Edinburgh. The launch of the paper's website, scotsman.com, in the early years of the dotcom craze, saw Ben move online to manage the Business and Motors channels before becoming deputy editor with responsibility for all aspects of online production for The Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday and the Edinburgh Evening News websites, along with the papers' Edinburgh Festivals website.

Ben joined MoneyWeek as website editor in 2008, just as the Great Financial Crisis was brewing. He has written extensively for the website and magazine, with a particular emphasis on alternative finance and fintech, including blockchain and bitcoin. 

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