The Altamont Speedway Free Festival in 1969 was a counterculture concert in which the Hells Angels were in some way hired to do security. It is unclear who actually did the hiring or what it entailed, but almost everyone seemed to agree that it was a bad idea.
The festival was rowdy and violent, and some club members dealt with the audience aggressively, but the real problem started when a man by the name of Merideth Hunter pulled out a gun. The Hells Angels reacted quickly, and member Alan Passaro knocked the gun out of Hunter’s hand and stabbed him to death. He was arrested for murder but was acquitted when a video of Hunter and the gun came to light and proved that Pasaro had acted in self-defense.
The “Filthy Few” and “Dequiallo” Patch
Tony Thompson, a crime correspondent and the author of the book Gangs, talks in his book about other patches which members may receive for particular acts. For example, the patch with Nazi-like SS lightning bolts and the words “Filthy Few.” This patch is supposedly only given out to members who have committed murder or are willing to commit murder for the club.
Another example is the “Dequiallo” patch. This patch is only awarded to members who reacted violently to law enforcement representatives while being placed under arrest. Other secret patches exist to help members show their commitment to the club and showcase the things they have done. For obvious reasons, their meanings are not public knowledge.
Hunter S. Thompson and the Hells Angels
Strangely enough, author and well known “Gonzo” journalist Hunter S. Thompson has the Hells Angels to thank for the start of his career. He spent a year living and riding with the club and absorbing the biker gang atmosphere before writing Hells Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs.
In the end, Thompson and the club parted on bad terms. The writer tried to keep a man from hurting his wife and ended up badly beaten himself. The gang also accused him of taking advantage of them for money and fame and demanded a cut from his profits. The book was a big hit, but Thompson did not share any of the money with the group.
Hells Angels and Racism
Officially, the motorcycle club is not a racially segregated organization, but you may believe otherwise if you take a look at its members. Sonny Barger was interviewed in 2,000 and said on this subject: “The club, as a whole, is not racist, but there are probably enough racist members that no black guy is going to get in it.”
The common wisdom on the subject has always been that if you’re white you join the Hells Angels and if you’re black you join the Dragons, an all-black motorcycle club founded in Oakland in 1959. But leader of the Dragons, Tobie Levingston, has stated that he has had a long-lasting friendship with Sonny and that the two clubs get along.
The Lennoxville Massacre
There have been times when even different charters of the Hells Angels couldn’t get along. Five members from the Hells Angels North Laval charter were murdered by members of the Montreal, Quebec, and Nova Scotia charters in 1985. The North Laval charter was considered too wild and rowdy. They were bringing police attention to the club and stealing money from other charters.
The victims were invited to the Lennoxville clubhouse where they were beaten, shot, and had their remains thrown into the St. Lawrence River. Five club members who took part in the incident were sentenced to life in prison, but they were all released by 2013. The event became known as the Lennoxville Massacre.