The Spring Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam , which became the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam , was a coalition of American antiwar activists formed in November 1966 to organize large demonstrations in opposition to the Vietnam War . The organization was informally known as " the Mobe ".
81-754: The Chicago Seven , originally the Chicago Eight and also known as the Conspiracy Eight or Conspiracy Seven , were seven defendants – Rennie Davis , David Dellinger , John Froines , Tom Hayden , Abbie Hoffman , Jerry Rubin , and Lee Weiner – charged by the United States Department of Justice with conspiracy , crossing state lines with intent to incite a riot , and other charges related to anti-Vietnam War and 1960s counterculture protests in Chicago , Illinois during
162-589: A police riot in Grant Park on August 27, 1968, Davis was among protesters beaten by Chicago police officers, and he suffered a concussion . The Chicago Eight (later known as the Chicago Seven) were eight men charged with conspiracy, inciting to riot, and other charges related to the nonviolent and violent protests that took place in Chicago. The original eight protester/defendants, as indicted by
243-462: A $ 25 bond. By the weekend before the convention, about 2,000 demonstrators had set up camp in Lincoln Park . On Saturday, August 24, Lincoln Park was cleared almost without incident, with Allen Ginsberg leading many protesters out of the park before the 11 p.m. curfew. According to Frank Kusch, police cleared the park and arrested eleven people for failing to disperse, while a crowd outside of
324-672: A Democratic Society and the National Mobilization Committee . Frapolly testified he heard most of the defendants say they intended to incite police confrontations and other disturbances; he also testified that Weiner and Froines discussed incendiary devices and chemical bombs. Seale was initially represented by Charles Garry , who appeared at the April 9 arraignment. Before the trial began, Seale had been indicted in Connecticut on charges of conspiracy to murder
405-443: A bigot, a racist, and a fascist , and I have said before and clearly indicated on the record." In the afternoon session of October 29, Judge Hoffman ordered Seale to be bound, gagged, and chained to a chair. According to John Schultz, when the jury was allowed into the courtroom, juror Jean Fritz began weeping, and other jurors "squirmed hard in their seats at the sight." On three days, Seale appeared in court bound and gagged before
486-588: A blatant racist of the United States court." Seale had been in Chicago for less than 24 hours over two days of the convention week and had been invited shortly before the convention began as a substitute for Eldridge Cleaver , so the evidence against him was testimony from undercover police officer Robert Pierson, about a speech by Seale in Lincoln Park, where according to Pierson, Seale had urged his audience to "barbecue some pork", and Judge Hoffman, over
567-597: A large demonstration for Washington, D.C., on October 21 , 1967. This demonstration was a rally at West Potomac Park near the Lincoln Memorial and a march to the Pentagon , where another rally would be held in a parking lot, followed by civil disobedience on the steps of the Pentagon itself. The action was known as the "March on the Pentagon." Hoping to attract young, educated college students, Mobe coordinator David Dellinger appointed Jerry Rubin , who led
648-715: A master's degree from the University of Illinois . In the 1960s, Davis became active in the Students for a Democratic Society . He was the National Director of their project of community organizing programs (the Economic Research and Action Project, or ERAP) in Ann Arbor, Michigan . He became increasingly allied with anti-war groups, and helped organize protests and related events before and during
729-593: A permit", and that Grant Park was only a "staging area for the march". On the morning of August 28, Abbie Hoffman was arrested for writing the word "FUCK" on his forehead. In the afternoon, Dellinger, Seale, Davis, and Hayden addressed thousands of demonstrators at the band shell in Grant Park. After the rally at the Grant Park bandshell, several thousand protesters attempted to march to the International Amphitheatre, but were stopped in front of
810-466: A report that focused on "outside agitators" with an "avowed purpose of a hostile confrontation with law enforcement." Bruce Ragsdale writes that the HUAC chair, Richard Ichord , "suspected communist involvement in the demonstrations", but the hearings "devolved into a bizarre preview of the conspiracy trial when a shirtless, barefooted Jerry Rubin burst into the hearing room with a bandolier of bullets and
891-515: A riot. In a separate trial, seven of the indicted police officers were acquitted by the jury, and the case against the eighth indicted police officer was dismissed by the prosecution. Rennie Davis Rennard Cordon Davis (May 23, 1940 – February 2, 2021) was an American anti-war activist who gained prominence in the 1960s. He was one of the Chicago Seven defendants charged for anti-war demonstrations and large-scale protests at
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#1732773251051972-1073: A riot. David Dellinger , Rennie Davis , Tom Hayden , Abbie Hoffman , Jerry Rubin , and Bobby Seale were also charged with crossing state lines with the intent to incite a riot. John Froines and Lee Weiner were charged with teaching demonstrators how to construct incendiary devices that would be used in civil disturbances. Eighteen others were named by the grand jury as alleged co-conspirators, but not indicted: Wolfe B. Lowenthal, Stewart E. Albert , Sidney M. Peck, Kathy Boudin , Corina F. Fales, Benjamin Radford, Thomas W. Neumann, Craig Shimabukuro, Bo Taylor, David A. Baker, Richard Bosciano, Terry Gross, Donna Gripe, Benjamin Ortiz, Joseph Toornabene, Sara C. Brown, Bradford Fox, and Richard Palmer. The original eight defendants were Abbie Hoffman , Jerry Rubin , David Dellinger , Tom Hayden , Rennie Davis , John Froines , Lee Weiner , and Bobby Seale . The defense attorneys were William Kunstler , Leonard Weinglass of
1053-627: A riot. The Court sustained the objection and Kunstler motioned for a mistrial. In the early 1970s, Davis became a follower of Guru Maharaj Ji (Prem Rawat). He was a spokesperson and speaker at the widely publicized Millennium '73 event organized by Divine Light Mission in the Houston Astrodome . He described the arrival of Guru Maharaj Ji as, The greatest event in history. ... If we knew who he was, we would crawl across America on our hands and knees to rest our heads at his feet. Texas Monthly quoted Davis as stating: "This city
1134-487: A statue of General Logan on a horse, which led to violent skirmishes with police. Police hauled a young man down and arrested him, breaking his arm in the process. The only permit granted to the Mobe for the convention week was for a rally at the Grant Park band shell for the afternoon of August 28, and it was granted on August 27, after the convention began. David Dellinger told members of the media, "We'll march with or without
1215-443: A suspected police informant and was therefore denied bail during the trial. Garry became unable to travel due to his need to recover from a surgery, and Judge Hoffman denied the request to postpone the trial start date. The judge also refused to allow Seale to represent himself, in part because Kunstler had signed an appearance for Seale on September 24 to be able to visit him in jail, so Kunstler's request to withdraw as Seale's attorney
1296-716: A toy gun." In October 1968, Abbie Hoffman was arrested for wearing an American flag shirt while trying to attend a HUAC meeting after being subpoenaed to appear. Tom Hayden also testified during the hearings. On September 4, 1968, Milton Eisenhower , chair of the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence , announced the commission would investigate and report its findings to President Lyndon Johnson. Supervised by Daniel Walker , more than 200 investigators conducted interviews of more than 1,400 witnesses and reviewed FBI reports and film. The Walker Report
1377-507: Is generally done in civil rights cases", rather than through a grand jury. On February 5, Abbie Hoffman shouted, "Your idea of justice is the only obscenity in this court, Julie", at Judge Hoffman and then yelled shande fur de goyim at him, after Rubin told the judge, "Every kid in the world hates you because they know what you represent. You are synonymous with Adolf Hitler . Adolf Hitler equals Julius Hitler." These insults had followed Judge Hoffman stating that he intended to continue using
1458-871: Is going to be remembered through all the ages of human civilization." An op-ed in the San Francisco Sunday Examiner speculated at the time as to whether Davis had undergone a lobotomy , and suggested, "If not, maybe he should try one." Davis later became a venture capitalist and lecturer on meditation and self-awareness . He created the Foundation for a New Humanity , a technology development and venture capital company commercializing breakthrough technologies. He appeared on Larry King Live , Barbara Walters , CNN , Phil Donahue , VH1 , and other network television programs. He consulted and provided advice in business strategies for Fortune 500 companies. Davis returned to Chicago for
1539-481: Is that the cause of misery are things outside 'myself'. But the cause of our misery is absolutely, positively not at all what we believe it to be. This is not a new view. Certainly saints and philosophers in every generation have basically argued if you want to change the world, you have to change yourself. Davis died on February 2, 2021, at his home in Berthoud, Colorado . He was 80 and suffered from lymphoma , which
1620-571: The Chicago Sun-Times as "a 17-minute melee in front of the Conrad Hilton ", were broadcast on television, interrupting the live coverage of the third evening of the convention. The police violence extended to protesters, bystanders, reporters and photographers, while tear gas reached Hubert Humphrey in his hotel suite. Police pushed protesters through plate-glass windows, then pursued them inside and beat them as they sprawled on
1701-512: The 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago for the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam ("the Mobe"). Davis was one of the principal organizers of the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam to plan anti-war protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention . He negotiated unsuccessfully to gain a permit with Chicago city counsel David Stahl. At
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#17327732510511782-544: The 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. He had a prominent organizational role in the American anti–Vietnam War protest movement of the 1960s. In the early 1970s, Davis became a follower of Guru Maharaj Ji (Prem Rawat) and his Divine Light Mission . He began to travel as a spiritual lecturer. He also became a venture capitalist, and founded the Foundation for a New Humanity to combine these goals. Davis
1863-561: The 1968 Democratic National Convention . The Chicago Eight became the Chicago Seven after the case against codefendant Bobby Seale was declared a mistrial . All of the defendants were charged with and acquitted of conspiracy; Davis, Dellinger, Hayden, Hoffman, and Rubin were charged with and convicted of crossing state lines with intent to incite a riot; Froines and Weiner were charged with teaching demonstrators how to construct incendiary devices and acquitted of those charges. All of
1944-473: The Center for Constitutional Rights , as well as Michael Kennedy , Michael Tigar , Charles Garry , Gerald Lefcourt , and Dennis Roberts. The presiding judge was Julius Hoffman (no relation to Abbie), and the prosecutors were Richard Schultz and Tom Foran . The trial began on September 24, 1969. In his opening statement, when prosecutor Richard Schultz mentioned Abbie Hoffman, Abbie Hoffman stood up and blew
2025-542: The Conrad Hilton Hotel , where the presidential candidates and campaigns were headquartered, by what David Taylor and Sam Morris of The Guardian describe as "a phalanx of National Guard armed with M1 rifles, backed by machine guns and jeeps with cages on top and barbed wire frames in front." In a sit down protest, the crowd chanted " the whole world is watching ". Film and videotape reports from "The Battle of Michigan Avenue", described by Neil Steinberg of
2106-590: The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in April 1968, there were riots in Chicago and other cities. In June 1968, Robert Kennedy was assassinated . Most of the permits applied for by the Mobe and the Yippies for protest-related activities were denied. Rennie Davis sought help from the Justice Department, and argued permits would lower the risk of violence between protesters and police, but
2187-572: The 1968 Democratic and Republican Conventions entitled Miami and the Siege of Chicago . Following the election of Richard M. Nixon , the Mobe organized a "counter-inaugural" to take place in Washington, D.C., on the day of Nixon's inauguration . This demonstration also attracted about 10,000 people and was accompanied by street violence. The National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam then disbanded. Future national marches against
2268-474: The 1996 Democratic National Convention to speak at the "Festival of Life" in Grant Park . He also appeared on a panel with activist Tom Hayden discussing "a progressive counterbalance to the religious right". In a 2005 article published in the Iowa Source , Davis said: If you were to do a survey of what causes misery on earth, it would tend to fall into three broad categories. One, we can call systems:
2349-622: The Convention week, Abbie Hoffman replied, "We couldn't agree on lunch." When asked by the prosecution about whether it was "a fact that one of the reasons why you came to Chicago was simply to wreck American society", he replied: The trial lasted for months, with over 100 witnesses called by the defense, including singers Phil Ochs , Judy Collins , Arlo Guthrie , and Country Joe McDonald ; comedian Dick Gregory ; writers Norman Mailer and Allen Ginsberg ; and activists Timothy Leary and Jesse Jackson . Phil Ochs, who helped organize some of
2430-569: The Cook County Jail; John Kifner of The New York Times reports that David Dellinger did not, and the others were "shorn of their long hair for what jail officials announced were 'sanitary reasons ' ", while the lawyers' sentences were stayed until May 4, to allow them to work on the appeal. After the haircuts, Cook County Sheriff Joseph I. Woods showed pictures of the defendants to an audience on February 23, 1970, that Kifner reports consisted of "about 100 laughing and applauding members of
2511-669: The Court, a speech he gave at the University of Chicago on November 20, 1967, and, by extension, his reasons for demonstrating at the Democratic National Convention. The suppression of his testimony led the defense to motion for a mistrial. During his speech, Davis held up a small green steel ball, about the size of a tennis ball, and described how 640 of them were dropped by an American F-105 fighter jet over Nam Ding, Vietnam. Now one of these balls, I explained,
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2592-422: The Democratic National Convention because I want the world to know that there are thousands of Young people in this country who do not want to see a rigged convention rubber stamp another four years of Lyndon Johnson's war. Foran objected that the methods and techniques used during the Vietnam war had nothing to do with whether or not people in the United States had a right to travel in interstate commerce to incite
2673-500: The Elk Grove Township Republican organization at a meeting in the suburban Mount Prospect Country Club." The defendants were released from jail on February 28, 1970. On February 18, 1970, the jury acquitted all seven defendants of conspiracy and acquitted Froines and Weiner on all charges. The jury found Davis, Dellinger, Hayden, Hoffman, and Rubin guilty of traveling across state lines with intent to incite
2754-560: The Lincoln Memorial to The Pentagon in nearby Arlington, Virginia to participate in a second rally. About 650 people, including novelist Norman Mailer , were arrested for civil disobedience on the steps of the Pentagon. A few individuals such as Allen Ginsberg , Ed Sanders , Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin (Hoffman and Rubin would co-found the Yippies later in '67) attempted by means of meditation and chanting to "levitate"
2835-626: The McCarthy workers, all telephones on their floor had been disconnected a half hour before, and they had no way to call for help. Investigations were conducted by the City of Chicago, the U.S. Department of Justice , the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC), and the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence . On September 6, 1968, the Daley administration issued
2916-740: The Mobe office in Chicago. A counterculture group known as Yippies , including Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman , also planned a "Festival of Life", announced at a press conference on March 17, as a response to what they described as the Democratic "Convention of Death". In January, the Yippies had issued a statement that included: "Join us in Chicago in August for an international festival of youth music and theater ... Come all you rebels, youth spirits, rock minstrels, truth seekers, peacock freaks, poets, barricade jumpers, dancers, lovers and artists ... We are there! There are 500,000 of us dancing in
2997-693: The Mobilization to End the War), and Tom Hayden . The November 8 Mobilization Committee formed in Cleveland, Ohio September 10–11, 1966. The Spring Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam emerged from the November 8th Mobilization Committee, and was cemented at the Cleveland Conference on November 26, 1966. The national director was Reverend James Bevel . On April 15, 1967,
3078-590: The New York march its last speaker, James Bevel , the Spring Mobilization's chairman and initiator of the march on the U.N. (until Bevel came aboard at the invitation of A. J. Muste and David Dellinger the plan was for just an April 15 rally in Central Park), made an impromptu announcement that the next major anti-war gathering would be in Washington, D.C. Bevel's announcement brought about
3159-677: The Spring Mobilization Conference, a gathering of 700 antiwar activists held in Washington, D.C., May 20–21, 1967, called to evaluate April's massive antiwar demonstrations. It was organized to chart a future course for the antiwar movement, and set another large antiwar action for the fall of 1967 and created an administrative committee—the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam—to plan it. The Mobe then planned and organized
3240-800: The Spring Mobilization's massive march against the Vietnam War from Central Park to the United Nations attracted hundreds of thousands of people, including Martin Luther King Jr. , Harry Belafonte , James Bevel , and Dr. Benjamin Spock , who marched and spoke at the event. During the event many draft cards were burned, according to the New York Times . Among the speakers at the simultaneous march in San Francisco were Coretta Scott King , Eldridge Cleaver , and Julian Bond . At
3321-546: The U.S. attorney in Chicago to investigate the Chicago police. On September 9, 1968, a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois began to investigate demonstration organizers for federal law violations and police officers for civil rights violations. On March 20, 1969, the grand jury indictments of eight demonstrators and eight police officers were publicly announced. Seven police officers were charged with assault and one police officer
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3402-717: The Vietnam war would be organized by other groups. The similarly named and inspired New Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam (New Mobe) was founded at a conference at Case Western Reserve University in July 1969, and, together with the Vietnam Moratorium Committee and the Student Mobilization Committee (SMC), organized the October 15, 1969 Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam which resulted in large demonstrations against
3483-402: The War in Vietnam, Abbie Hoffman brought a Viet Cong flag into the courtroom and then wrestled over it with deputy marshal Ronald Dobroski. Abbie Hoffman and Rennie Davis testified at the trial. On December 29, when asked about his arrest on August 28 for writing "FUCK" on his forehead, Abbie Hoffman testified, "I put it on for a couple of reasons, one was that I was tired of seeing my picture in
3564-583: The Yippies nominated their own candidate for president: a 145-pound pig they called Pigasus , who according to Frank Kusch, was "released to the public" at the Civic Center Plaza and promptly "arrested" by police as he was "interviewed" by journalists. Five Yippies were taken to jail, including Jerry Rubin and Phil Ochs , while Pigasus was released to the Chicago Humane Society, and the Yippies were released after they each posted
3645-469: The beginning of the trial in 1969, the defendants and their attorneys have been depicted in a variety of art forms, including film, music, and theater. In the fall of 1967, David Dellinger was the director of the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam (the Mobe), and planning began during Mobe meetings for an anti-war demonstration at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. A similar plan
3726-429: The broken glass. 100 protesters and 119 police officers were treated for injuries, and 600 protesters were arrested. Police brutality and demonstrators chanting " The whole world is watching " were filmed by national news outlets and broadcast on the same night that Humphrey won the presidential nomination. Paul Cowan of The Village Voice reports that by Thursday, Tom Hayden was in disguise by Grant Park, Jerry Rubin
3807-492: The building and "exorcise the evil within." These events were chronicled by Norman Mailer in his non-fiction novel The Armies of the Night . Following the Pentagon demonstration, the Mobe began discussion and planning for demonstrations at the 1968 Democratic National Convention , to be held in Chicago , where President Lyndon B. Johnson was expected to be nominated for a second term. Rennie Davis and Tom Hayden were
3888-644: The case, issued bench warrants for their arrest, and had Tigar and Lefcourt jailed. After two of the warrants were invalidated by the United States District Court in San Francisco, and while the court was being picketed by protesting attorneys, Judge Hoffman permitted the withdrawal of the attorneys from the case. On November 5, 1969, after declaring a mistrial in the prosecution of Bobby Seale, Judge Hoffman convicted Seale on 16 charges of contempt, and sentenced Seale to three months in prison on each count—a total of four years, which may have been
3969-635: The city, with an additional 5,000 National Guard on alert, and approximately 1,000 FBI and military intelligence officers, and 1,000 Secret Service agents were in the city. The 4,865 city firefighters were ordered to work extra shifts beginning on the Sunday before the convention, and the Chicago Police Department placed 1,500 uniformed officers outside the International Amphitheatre , where the Democratic convention
4050-415: The convictions were later reversed on appeal , and the government declined to retry the case. While the jury deliberated, Judge Julius Hoffman convicted the defendants and their attorneys of contempt of court and sentenced them to jail sentences ranging from less than three months to more than four years. The contempt convictions were also appealed, and some were retried before a different judge. Since
4131-582: The demonstrations, told the court he had acquired the pig, called Pigasus , to nominate as the Yippie presidential candidate before being arrested with Rubin and other participants. Judy Collins attempted to sing " Where Have All the Flowers Gone? " during her testimony, before Judge Hoffman forbade it, so Collins recited the lyrics instead. Allen Ginsberg recited poetry and chants, including O-o-m-m-m-m-m , while providing testimony about his participation in
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#17327732510514212-451: The demonstrations. On January 28, 1970, Ramsey Clark , the U.S. Attorney General under President Lyndon Johnson during the 1968 Democratic Convention, was barred by the judge from testifying before the jury after Clark testified outside the presence of the jury. Judge Hoffman upheld the prosecution's objections to 14 of Kunstler's 38 questions, but Clark did testify that he had told Foran to investigate through Justice Department lawyers "as
4293-401: The economy, AIDS, terrorism – things that are 'systems' in nature. The second would be a list of everybody to blame: Bush is the cause of my misery, my ex-wife, my boss. The third would be things that come utterly out of left field: a tornado through town, a tsunami , events that are not in our apparent control. What this huge list would have in common – something everybody would agree with –
4374-470: The first Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam was observed across the country, the defendants attempted to place American and South Vietnamese flags on the defense table, but Judge Hoffman demanded them removed, stating, "Whatever decoration there is the courtroom will be furnished by the government and I think things look alright in this courtroom." On November 15, the second day of the Moratorium to End
4455-412: The grand jury on March 20, 1969, included Davis, Abbie Hoffman , Jerry Rubin , David Dellinger , Tom Hayden , John Froines , Lee Weiner , and Bobby Seale , a Black Panther leader. During the early part of the trial, Seale's case was separated from the others. The Chicago Seven defense attorneys were William Kunstler and Leonard Weinglass of the Center for Constitutional Rights . The judge
4536-610: The institutions. It is the ideal weapon, you see, for the mentality who reasons that life is less precious than property.... And in 1967 the American Government told the American public that in North Vietnam it was only bombing steel and concrete.... The American government claimed to be hitting only military targets. Yet what I saw was pagodas that had been gutted, schoolhouses that had been razed, population centers that had been leveled. Then I said that I am going to
4617-549: The jury a kiss, and the judge said, "The jury is directed to disregard the kiss from Mr. Hoffman." The government called 53 witnesses, including undercover police officer Robert Pierson, who worked as a bodyguard for Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin, and testified that on August 26, 1968, he heard Abbie Hoffman say "If they push us out of the park tonight, we're going to break windows", and about statements made by Rubin, Seale, and Davis. Police officer William Frapolly testified about his undercover work, which included joining Students for
4698-424: The jury, and the jury returned its verdict on February 18. During the proceedings, all of the defendants and nearly all of their attorneys were cited for contempt of court by Judge Hoffman. Attorneys Michael Kennedy, Dennis Roberts, Michael Tigar , and Gerald Lefcourt assisted the defense with pretrial motions. Before the trial began, Judge Hoffman held them all in contempt after they attempted to withdraw from
4779-495: The jury, struggling to get free, and at times managing to loudly insist on his right to defend himself. On October 30, in open court, Kunstler declared, "This is no longer a court of order, your Honor; this is a medieval torture chamber." On November 5, the judge declared a mistrial for Seale, and the Chicago Eight became the Chicago Seven, with Seale's case severed for a later trial that never occurred. On October 15, when
4860-424: The key Mobe organizers for the Chicago demonstration , and would later be indicted for conspiracy and inciting a riot as members of the Chicago Seven . The Chicago demonstrations drew only 10,000 participants because it was widely anticipated that the mayor of Chicago, Richard J. Daley , would deploy his police to prevent marches to the site of the convention. Norman Mailer wrote a non-fiction novel about both
4941-462: The large Vietnam Day Committee at the University of California, Berkeley , to organize the march. The initial D.C. rally, which was galvanized by a concert performance from counterculture folk singer Phil Ochs , drew approximately 70,000 participants at the Lincoln Memorial. Following Ochs' concert, as well as speeches from Dellinger and Dr. Spock, around 50,000 of those attending were then led by social activist Abbie Hoffman and marched from
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#17327732510515022-432: The longest contempt sentence in U.S. history at the time. On February 14 and 15, 1970, while the jury deliberated on the verdict for the remaining defendants, Judge Hoffman convicted all the defendants—and their attorneys Kunstler and Weinglass—on a total of 159 counts of criminal contempt. The sentences for the defendants and their attorneys were as follows: Six of the seven defendants remanded to jail received haircuts in
5103-400: The objection of the defense, allowed Pierson to give his opinion that this meant "to burn some pigs", i.e., police officers. On the morning of October 29, after Seale called Judge Hoffman a "rotten racist pig, fascist liar", the judge responded: "Let the record show the tone of Mr. Seale's voice was one of shrieking and pounding on the table and shouting", and Seale replied, "If a witness is on
5184-424: The paper and having newsmen come around, and I know if you got that word on your forehead they ain't going to print your picture in the paper. Secondly, it sort of summed up my attitude about the whole thing—what was going on in Chicago." When asked whether he entered into an agreement with Dellinger, Froines, Hayden, Rubin, Weiner or Davis, to come to Chicago for the purpose of encouraging and promoting violence during
5265-519: The park suddenly ran toward the main street in Old Town yelling "Peace now! Peace now! Peace now!" and then marched for ten blocks before police arrived and the demonstrators quickly blended into the regular crowds on the sidewalks. For the convention, the 11,900 members of the Chicago Police Department were put on twelve-hour shifts, and nearly 6,000 members of the National Guard were sent to
5346-443: The park was officially closed at 11 p.m., Chicago police used tear gas and moved in with billy-clubs to forcibly remove them from the park. Police formed a skirmish line and cleared the park, ending up on Stockton Drive, with about 200 police facing about 2,000 protesters. Protesters, journalists, photographers, and bystanders were clubbed and beaten by the police. On August 26, demonstrators gathered in Grant Park and climbed on
5427-481: The park, demonstrators sang " God Bless America ", " This Land Is Your Land ", and " The Star-Spangled Banner ", and waved "V" signs above their heads, asking soldiers to join in. They never did. Phil Ochs sang " I Ain't Marchin' Any More ", and demonstrators chanted "join us" softly. Five hours later, police officers raided a party organized by McCarthy workers in the Hilton hotel, and beat them viciously. According to
5508-402: The revocation of bail in response to the use of "vile epithets" in the courtroom, while the defense attorneys were arguing against the revocation of Dellinger's bail the day before, after Dellinger shouted a "barnyard vulgarity" at a government witness. On February 6, Abbie Hoffman and Rubin wore judicial robes to court, then threw them down and stepped on them. On February 14, the case went to
5589-421: The stand and testifies against me and I stand up and speak out in behalf of my right to have my lawyer and to defend myself and you deny me that, I have a right to make those requests. I have a right to make those demands on my constitutional rights. I have a constitutional right to speak, and if you try to suppress my constitutional right to speak out in behalf of my constitutional rights, then I can only see you as
5670-420: The streets, throbbing with amplifiers and harmony. We are making love in the parks ..." In a March meeting at Lake Villa, Illinois , coordination of demonstrations was discussed by representatives from various groups; Hayden and Davis drafted a proposal that included "the campaign should not plan violence and disruption against the Democratic National Convention. It should be nonviolent and legal." Following
5751-459: Was Julius Hoffman . The prosecutors were Richard Schultz and Tom Foran . The trial began on September 24, 1969. On October 9, the Illinois National Guard was called in to join the Chicago police for crowd control, as demonstrations grew outside the courtroom. Davis was found guilty of inciting to riot and sentenced to five years imprisonment. His conviction was overturned on appeal. At his testimony, given January 23, 1970, Davis related, for
5832-407: Was an "absolutely discretionary" decision by the judge, and Judge Hoffman decided Seale was represented by Kunstler. Seale protested the judge's actions, arguing that they were not only illegal, but also racist, telling the court on September 26, "If I am consistently denied this right of legal defense counsel of my choice, who is effective, by the judge of this court, then I can only see the judge as
5913-597: Was born in Lansing, Michigan , on May 23, 1940. His family moved to Berryville, Virginia , when he was in the seventh grade. His father, John, worked in nearby Washington, D.C. , including as chief of staff to the Council of Economic Advisers under President Harry S. Truman . His mother, Dorothy, was employed as a schoolteacher. Davis studied at Oberlin College starting in 1958. After graduating, he went on to obtain
5994-532: Was charged with perjury. In addition, Enid Roth, an NBC News producer, was indicted on two counts of electronic eavesdropping, which were related to hidden microphones found in closed meetings of the Democratic party platform committee. The charges against the demonstrators were the first prosecutions under the anti-riot provisions of Title X of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 . All were charged with conspiring to use interstate commerce with intent to incite
6075-522: Was created by SDS Vice President Vernon T. Grizzard titled "Summer 1968: Possibilities for New Local Organizing". In early 1968, the Tet Offensive against American forces in Vietnam started, and in February, Walter Cronkite said the war was "lost." In March, Johnson ended his campaign for the nomination. Protests against the war continued, and Rennie Davis and Tom Hayden became directors of
6156-735: Was discovered only two weeks prior to his death. National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam Individuals and organizations associated either with the Spring Mobilization to End the War in Vietnam or the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam include Dr. Benjamin Spock and SANE , Sidney Peck, Eric Weinberger, David Dellinger , Jerry Rubin , James Bevel , Stew Albert , A. J. Muste , Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. , Coretta Scott King , Rennie Davis , Karen Wald, Fred Halstead , Bradford Lyttle , Charles Owen Rice , Vietnam Summer, Cornell Professor Robert Greenblatt (who became national coordinator of
6237-515: Was held, including snipers. The number of demonstrators in Chicago was estimated to be about 10,000. From inside the International Amphitheatre, CBS evening news anchor Walter Cronkite reported: "The Democratic convention is about to begin in a police state. There just doesn't seem to be any other way to say it." On Sunday, August 25, protest leaders allegedly told people to "test the curfew", while there were several thousand people in Lincoln Park , around bonfires, beating drums, and chanting. When
6318-401: Was in jail, and Rennie Davis was recovering from a beating by the police. After a speech by Eugene McCarthy in Grant Park that afternoon, a march was joined by delegates and McCarthy supporters but was stopped at 18th Street and Michigan Avenue by the National Guard. Arrests were followed by tear gas and mace, while marchers chanted " The whole world is watching " and retreated to Grant Park. In
6399-430: Was released on December 1, 1968, and described the violence as a " police riot ". The report summary included: The Walker Report also acknowledged provocation and violence by some protesters and stated the "vast majority of the demonstrators were intent on expressing by peaceful means their dissent." The Department of Justice investigation did not support prosecution of demonstrators. Attorney General Ramsey Clark asked
6480-419: Was roughly three times the power of an old fashioned hand grenade.... Every living thing exposed in that 1000-yard area from this single bomb, ninety percent of every living thing in that area will die ... whether it's a water buffalo or a water buffalo boy. This bomb would not destroy this lecture podium, it would not damage the walls, the ceiling, the floor ... if it is dropped on a city, it takes life but leaves
6561-593: Was unsuccessful. A week before the start of the convention, Mobe organizers sued in federal court to obtain permits to use the parks, but were denied on August 23. A variety of groups convened in Chicago to protest during the convention week, including the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam (the Mobe) and the Yippies . The Black Panther Party and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference also sent representatives to protest racism. On Friday, August 23,
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