Acting Mayor Feinstein , Supervisor Carol Ruth Silver , and Milk 's successor Harry Britt condemned the jury 's decision . When the verdict was announced over the police radio , someone sang " Danny Boy " on the police band . A surge of people from the Castro District walked again to City Hall , chanting " Avenge Harvey Milk " and " He got away with murder " . Pandemonium rapidly escalated as rocks were hurled at the front doors of the building . Milk 's friends and aides tried to stop the destruction , but the mob of more than 3,000 ignored them and lit police cars on fire . They shoved a burning newspaper dispenser through the broken doors of City Hall , then cheered as the flames grew . One of the rioters responded to a reporter 's question about why they were destroying parts of the city : " Just tell people that we ate too many Twinkies . That 's why this is happening . " The chief of police ordered the police not to retaliate , but to hold their ground . The White Night riots , as they became known , lasted several hours
White Night riots
White Night riots
Harvey Milk