50 Years Ago: Antiwar Protesters Brutally Attacked in Police Riots at 1968 Democratic Convention

democracynow.org - It was 50 years ago this week that the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago became a national spectacle, as a major political event turned into chaos that culminated with a police riot, much of it unfolding on live national television. Chicago met the protesters with 24,000 police officers, National Guardsmen and Army soldiers using tear gas and clubs. We feature newsreel clips from the week and go to Chicago to speak with former SDS and Weather Underground member Bill Ayers, who was arrested 50 years ago.
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[@FEARTHEMOSTHIGH]

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

[@LayZeeDawg]

Wish people read this last year

[@dumpygoodness4086]

you ain't wrong: BOTH Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez are Establishment lackeys funded by RICH dudes (look it up)....and COVERED UP when Nazi Giuliani and Nazi Bloomturd were jailing journalists, musicians, artists, cartoonists etc when they were mayor. (I was jailed for speech over and over and starved etc in Rikers.) WHO IS WORSE: A NAZI who does nazism.... OR A "LIBERAL" who does right wing nazism?

[@freddyj5845]

Oh shut up!

[@paulaharrisbaca4851]

Kids are being manipulated these days by many of the same groups who fought against them back then. The kids today have little or nothing to fuss about. They aren't being drafted to fight overseas in a war they don't believe in. They aren't trying to help end segregation or the ability to vote or sit at a lunch counter. They are entitled wealthy kids who want to protest for things they don't understand very much and are being used by the Marxists as a sort of revolutionary army,... while aided by groups supported by Billary and Soros and Xi, of course....sad sad sad. And social media makes it 10 times worse....

[@t4t359]

Is the entire Weather Underground Jewish? And why is Soros funding current protests? Who is wagging the dog?

[@eclipsemix]

Who is here after the Netflix movie? 2020

[@mayonenciom7983]

Me

[@nathantucker8489]

Me

[@michaelreay62]

Im here about to watch the movie

[@mayonenciom7983]

@4kRolls. yeah, idiot democrats

[@danielbolvito2669]

What movie?

[@homersamson2635]

Watched these events on TV as a kid, never forgot them. The unrest of 2020 brought me here to look back and compare.

[@highpockets5340]

I was 12 in '68 Incredible Times, I know exactly what you mean.✌

[@natashanonnattive4818]

I was 11 they killed MLK then RFK

[@stalinsghost1090]

Wasn’t it insane watching the cops dunk of these fucking hippies

[@JaxonSmithers]

The people back then were mostly idealists who believed in what they were doing and wanted to enact change. The riots and looting of 2020 were mostly opportunists who would not have been satisfied with any meaningful change, sad as it is, face facts.

[@ChicoTheMan69]

Civil rights movement continues.......

[@GrimLocke161]

Thank you Amy, Juan, and the crew for this retrospective from the archive! ✌🏻

[@davidvance6367]

Grim Locke, Leftists will get their ass busted up again. Trump Pence are taking over the world. Pelosi & her rat bastard socialists are beatin. Do this shit in Russia & see what the government is made of. We Trumpers are arming ourselves to finally give the left what they deserve. One way trip to the Morgue. These socialist freaks haven't a clue what is about to go down. HAIL VICTORY HAIL TRUMP !

[@liveoak144]

@@davidvance6367 Pence could have sent those votes from the contested states back to the states to have them investigate and audit their election. Pence is a go along to get along guy; he really failed Trump and the patriots. He went along with putting a Chinese puppet in the White House.

[@lagunasjrpedro]

@@liveoak144 please do actual research, touch grass, or even read a book you sound like such an ignorant, uneducated idiot. You call yourself a patriot, but literally committed treason by storming federal property, threatening a democratic measure, and threatening the lives of elected representatives.

[@LA-kc7ev]

Thank you for showing this Amy. We need it now more than ever.

[@pirateking517]

theres a MAJOR lack of an anti-war left in america right now

[@Neo-ti2rz]

Lack of anti racist Right wingers. Apples and oranges

[@user-qz6bi5jg4u]

died already

[@stoggafllik]

@@Neo-ti2rz >racist Being offended is never a proper argument.

[@fieldfairy9845]

I agree. Most Democrats are pro war corporatists and those who are not pro war, like Tulsi Gabbard, are completely shunned by the Democrat establishment

[@KratomFlavoredAdidas]

@@stoggafllik using meme lines in the 2020th decade is truly hilarious

[@JoeSims1776]

Saddest part of this is the realization that we have all become content with war. Where have all the anti-war protests gone?

[@georgeb.wolffsohn30]

Living in their i phones.

[@LA-kc7ev]

I am 63 and wonder the same. My hope is that the younger people will carry on where we left off. The alternative means allowing a collective of sociopaths to lead all the world over a cliff.

[@duncanbleak3819]

Reinstate the draft and you will see the protests return.....Simple!

[@drewbrown3082]

They're gone because it simply doesn't work anymore

[@taxisteve929]

Charlie Rangel wanted to bring the draft back. I agree with him. Vietnam and the illumination of the draft taught this country that there can be an ending profitable small wars without the protests once you eliminated the draft. Kids who enlisted with red white and blue in their hearts after 911 was sent to Iraq we had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11, and later, in the US courts, all of the talk about weapons of mass destruction, whatever they are, were proven false. Yes Saddam Hussein was a dictator in a brutal individual, but that country had citizens who were not under any rules to obey strict religious law, in fact, women worked as architects and lawyers and we're not required to cover their faces, it was the most westernized country outside of Israel in the Middle East. Then after 911, we still saw our leaders hugging and kissing the leaders of Saudi Arabia who is wealthy funded 911. It only proves that wars are not fought for what the people are told, but rather the profit of the few at the expense of the many. These kids who enlisted not in list so war profiteers can make trillions, the enlisted to protect America. Not fight on necessary war! Probably one of only a couple of things I agreed with Donald Trump on. Bring back the draft, and get us involved in another Iraq, and you will see the same protests you saw during The Vietnam war. Anyone who lived through those times remembers that after they eliminated the draft, about 60% of the protesters stopped showing up. They were only worried about their own hide and not the poor kids who were sent there and simply obeying orders as kids had done for generations. I remember as a kid when everyone it seemed had served in World War II and was now in their 30s finding it difficult to believe that when they were in war, they were just teenagers or possibly 20 or 21 years old. I guess the kids now find it hard to believe that these old-timers wearing the DAV or Vietnam hats we're often younger than the kids thanking them for their service when they were stuck in that godforsaken place. Something I've always noticed, the next time you see a Korean war veteran, check their feet. So many of them have to wear special slippers or shoes because they had frostbite. The forgotten war. I doubt those guys will ever forget it. The Chinese just never stopped coming. And when our corporations are competing with Chinese so corporations, they are competing with someone backed by the state and fully funded by the state in both research and espionage. We do need to be much stronger than we are militarily, but as a president wants said, speak softly and carry a big stick. Be prepared but stay out of these constant wars. A great video to watch, Marine US Corps Major General Smedley Butler war is a racket speech. There is an actor who repeats the words, and it's only a few minutes, but boy does it say everything. He was going back to just after World War I when he said that and wrote it, but you can change the names of a few corporations and you have The 21st century.

[@kryptoart87]

Wow I grew up in Chicago and never knew about this. They dont teach you this in school. People had balls back then. Now they pacify anger with meaningless marches.

[@stevekeys262]

Polish Hammer They don't teach you in the USA but the rest of the world knew and knows.

[@LA-kc7ev]

I am 63 and it is my hope that you, the younger generation, will stand up for what is right for Americans and for the people living in all the countries we bomb and put sanctions on. When it comes down to it, humanity is more important than any one nation.

[@kryptoart87]

aaron any teachers, history teachers, people in charge of setting the curriculum.

[@kryptoart87]

@@LA-kc7ev I've been to Standing Rock, Ran for Congress, and I'm currently organizing a United States General Strike.

[@stevekeys262]

@donovan aaron I'm on a different time zone and continent. Also, I didn't understand your last comment. Please elaborate.

[@kerrinihsen4729]

My dad was in the Army national guard after serving in Vietnam. The guard was called in to help the police during the riots. He is now 80 years old and to this day he can’t forget what they were made to do. He went from war and violence in Vietnam to war and violence in his own country.

[@lmeade7401]

No one can MAKE you do anything.

[@balancesun17]

@@lmeade7401 Amen! Stand your ground!

[@ChicoTheMan69]

He could've refused unlawful orders.

[@JaxonSmithers]

@@lmeade7401 Easy for you to say.

[@lmeade7401]

@@JaxonSmithers How would you POSSIBLY know that? You know nothing of what I have seen, lived or endured. NO ONE can make you do anything, you weigh the possible consequences and make the choice based upon your moral content and upbringing. Some choose poorly for others, but well for themselves. Others choose well for others and sacrifice themselves for the greater good. Bite me Mark

[@wonderlost2023]

Vote Trump for peace.

[@azolioeroach3253]

The trouble with planting trees under which we ourselves won't live to sit is that we will be too dead to help protect them from those who's will and intention is to deprive our posterity of the comfort of shade they were meant to provide. One must not forget that what takes years to grow can be cut down in an instant... -Me

[@georgeb.wolffsohn30]

Vote, Vote, Vote 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@PutDownTheBunny]

shrooms?

[@scientifico]

The state willingly and liberally uses violence. Learn the fucking lesson.

[@LA-kc7ev]

I remember. If this happened in Russia it would fill our screens and news for days. I really dislike hypocrisy

[@michaelcerda5514]

wow. what hero's

[@trinhcuong-ie1gv]

War benefit only politicians, peace benefits all people in and outside of America. No one, nation is center of universe, stop being self center, greedy, ego, ungrateful nor bullied anyone.

[@13benroberts]

War benefits the bankers above all others and they orchestrate every one of them. Sad, but the Democrats used to be anti-war until they sold out to the fascist corporatist on the right who now owns them in every way possible. There is no Democrat party as it has been replaced and taken over by the socialist of every kind including the fascist socialist antifa. Noting is more anti-democratic than socialism, yet it hides very cleverly behind that word brainwashing everyone who thinks they are a Democrat!

[@kenike007]

PRIDE GOES BEFORE THE FALL!

[@Onxide]

It's good population control

[@trinhcuong-ie1gv]

@@Onxide well, then make sure you n yr families and friends valunteer go war before anyone else especially fight in communist Vietnam, China and N. Korea with ton ton in body bags, missing, imprisoned when get home like from Korea and Vietnam civil wars America instigated and carried out, kakakakak.

[@AlexHristo]

trinhcuong 1964 Korea war was completely justified because South don’t want dictator communist and wanted UN help to push back North Korea. Unlike Vietnam, US pushed from South and destroyed lots of North Vietnam which should of been left alone.

[@PlanetRockJesus]

Richard Daley is in hell right now.

[@someoneelse.2252]

The pigs haven't changed.

[@urcheese9074]

They have

[@mightyraccoon7155]

@@urcheese9074 Lol

[@mikeraspanti5342]

You’re the one who needs to change. The police were doing their jobs. Show some respect and do right and you won’t have issues😉

[@audrajones]

The Great Bill Ayers. All Respect.

[@fredstann982]

I was there. The hell first broke loose Sunday , the night before the convention, when Daley decided to enforce the 11pm curfew in Lincoln Park. The police not only clubbed the protestors, but they beat the crap out of the press and smashed their gear. That vastly improved the overall coverage of the anti-war movement.

[@freddyj5845]

😂

[@stefanhall3219]

I was there too. I remember well wanting to pull my eyes out of my head because they were burning like two coals of fire. The next day I went to army surplus and bought a gas mask and police baton which I used for the next 5 yrs. Do not doubt that the US is Nazi nation. It was then and it is worse now. America needs a Second Revolution!

[@reginagalvan-fb3yi]

Wow, this sounds like what's going on with Kamala 😮

[@wegder]

Thanks American RT

[@brew1234567891]

It’s 1 day before the sequel in 2024…

[@liampatrick3110]

I see a lot of (fascist) trolls in the comment section :/

[@nicolec.4871]

Who watching this in 2020?

[@hollywoodnoire]

Now we’re seeing the same thing happening with Gaza

[@Jamestele1]

Great footage and commentary. Makes me think of my father in Vietnam. The horrors of what he saw deeply affected his mental/psychological state and he became drug addicted, just to calm his nerves. He was busted and actually went to Leavenworth military prison! What a great way to "help" an addict. Poor man was never stable after a year in Vietnam then a year on Leavenworth. I'm beginning to think the Vietnam War was NOT good for anything - sarcasm intended. Peace be with everyone

[@MMM-fo5go]

Leadership has broken the social contract, it is not the duty of citizens to respect authority until the social contract is observed by our representative government.

[@DocAkins]

Let's see how it turns out this year in Chicago. You think police will protect it like this?

[@nahnah5085]

Hell yea. Probably worse because they have militarized even more as the years go on

[@battery781]

Let me post the correct title. ‘agitators provoke police and then cry when they get their asses kicked”. There now it’s right.

[@danr1920]

Viet Nam was Presidents Johnson's war.

[@ambulanza]

was the industrial-military complex war my man, the same "group" that president eisenhower told us to watch for... and we didnt.. and they are still ruling USA.. a war after a war after a war after a war...

[@Lexman509]

I love the police and they shouldn't go anywhere near the Democratic Convention this year. They could get hurt. Stay away. :)

[@Akmt96]

2024 is going to be an interesting year

[@winstonsmith-ministryoftru1609]

How is this so-called "representative democracy" working for y'all?

[@augurcybernaut4785]

Winston Smith in Oceania Winston take your soma and go back to updating Wikipedia!

[@georgeb.wolffsohn30]

It's a fixer upper, if you know what I mean.

[@davidvance6367]

Winston Smith in Oceania, Trump Pence shit canning all of this socialist democratic nonsense. We the Federal Republic aren't playing any games with these Pelosi, Shumar, Booker, Schiff, Feinstein freaks. Abortion sucking creatures. Fixing to feel the strength of Smith & Wesson Steel

[@taserrr]

Democracy is only as good as the knowledge of the average citizen. Which I am sorry to say, is not very high, especially in America. Most people voting do not have the knowledge that should be required to cast a decision on how an entire country should be governed. A technocracy, that's what would work better in my opinion. People in charge of their fields that know what they're doing instead of a bunch of lawyers that learnt how to sway public opinion and are put in charge for fields they have no prior knowledge about.

[@milesmartig5603]

@@taserrrthe average citizen gets his political education from the newspaper, cable tv, and social media. The first two are owned and controlled by a handful of companies that have a strong interest to influence working people to take up far-right wing ideologies rather than left-wing ideas. The only way this problem can truly be solved is by using class analysis, and seeing the world for how it is, not as an idealized image where a nation of people is united in common interest. The people who work to live have a totally opposing set of interests to those to own property and exploit the labor of others as a means of living.

[@MayTheLordDeliverUsAll]

Riots used to be so much worse

[@jimbaker2152]

Nothing has changes

[@ALLMUTANTER]

I hate mindless drones and hate their masters more

[@bankerduck4925]

Peaceful negotiations guys.

[@davegibbs6423]

Brought to you by the SDS.

[@BlowmeRoger]

should have made it about Justice for JFK as LBJ and Nixon were dirty as, they could have mobilized more via that message

[@satnamo]

We came to Chicago from Michigan to oppose a genocidal war in Vietnam 🇻🇳 and to oppose American imperialism 🇺🇸 that was Chicago in 1968 ❤

[@mikeraspanti5342]

@satnamo, Genocide? You must be an antisemite. One of those asshole Hamas terrorist supporters?

[@FenderFingers]

Bill should be in prison

[@macnutz4206]

That riot played as big role in putting Nixon in the white house. Most Americans ignored the police riot and put everything on the protesters. I was in the American Air Farce at the time, and remember the reactions of many people. My lefty friends blamed it all on the democrats and decided not to vote. The others blamed everything on the democrats some how encouraging the chaos, and voted republican that year. I still laugh that Nixon got elected as a peace candidate. The democrats and republicans were not so different then. The conservatives in the republican party were traditional conservatives, not the radical quasi Christian Trump supporting nutters, of the present generation of the republican party. And the democrats still had a sizable Dixiecrat contingent. The country was not nearly as polarized as it is now.

[@jonathandixon1305]

Based on that, it looks like Donald Trump will win again. Only this time the war could be as close as Mexico rather than China.

[@johnmaunsell9541]

Freud's most important issue, "Why do we forget". His astute observation "America is gigantic a gigantic mistake". Probably why he lived in Great Britain.

[@angusmeigh5141]

What about what America did in Vietnam in the 1960s and early 1970s? Why didn't people back then protest against the Vietnam War? As the Vietnam war killed hundreds of thousands of people in Vietnam!

[@justarandomguywantingtostu6539]

Because people did not know what was happening

[@janeapplebee]

Hello? This WAS an anti-war protest. There were millions of them across the country during those years.

[@dcotai2902]

Was eye of the Storm 1968.✌️

[@kathleenpolizzi8636]

Your number of reported arrests is grossly false.

[@bigroy38]

Aretha Franklin couldn’t sing the Anthem then.

[@cindylewis3325]

If you don’t study history your bound to repeat it. My cousin was in college when e everyone ran out and protested. She went home. I watched this live on TV. At that time the Mayor of Chicago had such political clout they said he pretty much chose the candidates. The thing is, this protest lost it for the democrats and we got Richard Nixon who made the war far worse. I never really got why they did this. Especially when Jerry Rubin gave up and became part of the establishment ended up on Wall Street, where he suffered a heart attack at 46 years old.

[@WINGTV9]

If the protesters knew about the people throwing flaming bags of excrement out of hotel windows they should have bailed, but they may not have known it was happening. Surely it was a huge provocation.

[@RobertGrillo]

jaw dropping coverage!

[@LA-kc7ev]

Multiply it by a hundred. There was a lot of protest back then. The MSM will never cover it; in fact, it has all been covered over and dropped out of sight.

[@samzofkie8779]

these dudes r rockers man (amy n juan)

[@kenike007]

A salute to all myg brave brothers and sisters who stood for peace and an end to the BS. Time to get ride of big government!

[@LA-kc7ev]

The problem isn't the government, but that the government (like our political parties) does not represent the people.

[@filthism1659]

End is screwed this is gonna happen again this year lol

[@scasey1960]

Mayor Daley - “police maintain disorder”. Today - megaphones are banned. What’s changed?

[@JaneFrieman]

Mayor Daley had Fascist ways.

[@faisalmohammedhossain4665]

Its still the same yet !

[@brianhancock4096]

RIP Richard J. Daley...even though he was a Democrat that was HIS city, and he wanted to let everybody to know that!....Brendan Johnson couldn't even carry Hizzonors skivvies!....

[@4tech69]

Bravo

[@dengue1775]

Quiet

[@thetruthserum2816]

"Intent to cause a riot".. Hmm, Orange Man, and the Trial by Combat guy can answer to that.

[@Geobardwain]

Uncle Al from Ministry was there, wasn't he?

[@redstar5583]

Anyone thinking of Negative XP’d song about this?😂

[@moussaouiahmed]

...........................AM

[@margaretharks7304]

Daley went Vladimir Putin style on them lol. He still my guy thou.

[@srercrcr]

Trump is Daley.

[@georgeb.wolffsohn30]

Daley was local, Trump is national. Not the same.

[@srercrcr]

Wow, youre so intelligent.

[@trsswp]

Sickening.

[@Luigimenta]

Quando a morire erano i ragazzi americani in Vietnam. Da quell'esperienza i dem hanno tratto l'insegnamento di mettere giovani di altri paesi in mezzo ai casini tra l'America e i propri nemici geopolitici

[@charleswilson7371]

Bravo! Refuse to serve in VN or anywhere

[@trsswp]

Chicago and Boston are hands down the 2 most racist cities in America. Just sayin.

[@stalinsghost1090]

I love watching cops taking care of business

[@zerpacific50]

These cops had children, they are also cops.

[@frenzyyg8337]

Police riot. Remember those words.

[@jasonjase8661]

It is questionable to make political extremist into heroes after the fact. Who know what would of happened in vietnam if the us didn't stick their big nose in. I do know a lot of vietnamese people would of died either way.

[@coolz-aj9516]

4:58

[@brandonandujar2289]

>Police Riot LOL

[@mickeythemaltipoo3756]

AmeriCorps won and America lost #sad

[@privatenunyabusiness2427]

Geez I wish they would deal with these protesters today in the same way.... I'd sit there drinking beer and having popcorn in a lawn chair watching it like a football game lol

[@justarandomguywantingtostu6539]

Good luck with that. Nowadays that just would put US in a hard spot with all the media coverage that exists nowadays. Injustice like this is not that easy to happen again (thank god)

[@SiriusMysterious23]

Amy Goodman biggest sellout ever

[@TheoriginalBillBraskey]

I’m giving a thumbs down just for being democracy now.

[@victorcastillo9413]

Bill Ayers should be doing life in prison.

[@SandfordSmythe]

Always frustrated to see political radical types called hippies It shows how ignorant people are about these things.

[@SandfordSmythe]

Hippies were not political radicals. People are confused about this

[@staatsfeindlich9939]

Why on earth would Arethra sing that racist anthem?

[@The10thManRules]

Why? She spoke a length about her rational. I believe even Democracy Now covered the response. In a nutshell, Aretha sang the song because she believed in what America can be, not what it is or was at the time. Context is EVERYTHING. Many Africans echo the idea of James Baldwin when he said "I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually". What are you doing to sacrifice your life, liberty, and income to destroy what MLK called the 3 evils of American society? These 3 evils being systemic and institutionalized racism, economic and political exploitation and materialism, and for profit militarism that only benefits corporations, the military industrial complex, and wealthy elites. I'm an atheist, but the fictional account of Jesus describes him as a rebel, a radical, and a revolutionary. Same with Gandhi, MLK, Malcolm X, Fred Hampton, and all the multitudes of civil rights activists around the globe. The uncivil and unjust status quo exists because "the people" are intentionally socially conditioned to be ignorant, mis-educated, apathetic, indifferent, disinfranchised, and disempowered. As much as Africans need to re-educate themselves and remain vigilant, white liberals need to stop talking like missionaries and starting acting like revolutionaries. If they did, the first casualty would be their white privilege. Thanks for commenting. Be well.

[@staatsfeindlich9939]

Well articulated statement. Thanks.

[@johnsmith1474]

Obnoxious Any Goodman and her pal are barely able to present this horrendous history, lacking any sense of internal outrage, fearful for their jobs, ensconced in their coveted positions at NPR.

[@Fickets]

"Beat beat beat/kill kill kill/stomp them raw until they lose their will" Why can't this happen again?

[@howardthealien2606]

I came here to see Hippies getting beated up by cops

[@meatloafmen]

You came here to be called a sick fuck

[@wrestlingpurist9784]

This will be nothing compared to what will happen in the Genoa G8 in 2001.

[@freddyj5845]

Lol at the old hippie anchor! Grow up already! 60s are long gone!

[@boring247boring5]

politicians across the country are moving to stop the road-blocking maneuver, proposing increased penalties for demonstrators who run onto highways and legal immunity for drivers who hit them. The bills are among dozens introduced in Legislatures aimed at cracking down on demonstrations. Bravo

[@fredcollins8919]

Those efforts are undemocratic retarded unenforceable & will Fail and backfire. That aside No One will obey them regardless if those proposed laws get passed or not.

[@mariaangel1065]

Those songs are racist.

[@georgeb.wolffsohn30]

I applaud their protest, but deplore the use of the term "pigs".

[@sadipolep]

God Bless those cops! They kept fighting for democracy!!!

[@justarandomguywantingtostu6539]

?

[@digenis5203]

I'm Greek and I laugh when you idiots say Democrasy!

[@chriswick7987]

Bullshit

[@adampaul6062]

such a glorious beatdown. I bet the hippies didn't find this very 'groovy.'

[@SandfordSmythe]

They were not hippies, but it's a cool thing to say.

[@digenis5203]

Weak citizen spotted. Obey