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How did police respond to the protestors at the Democratic National Convention in 1968?
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At the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago (Aug. 26–29), city police — backed by some state/federal forces and acting under Mayor Richard J. Daley’s orders to keep the streets clear — responded to the large antiwar and counterculture demonstrations with heavy, often violent, force.
Key elements of the police response
- Organized mass deployments in riot gear and tight lines to contain and disperse crowds around the convention area (Grant Park, Michigan Avenue, the Hilton, Lincoln Park).
- Repeated baton charges and use of clubs against demonstrators and many bystanders; charging into crowds and on sidewalks.
- Use of tear gas and other crowd-control measures in some places.
- Widespread arrests — numbering in the hundreds.
- Numerous injuries to demonstrators, journalists, and police; many episodes were recorded by TV news crews.
Consequences and reaction
- The scenes of police beating protesters were broadcast nationally, shocking the public and prompting sharp criticism.
- The confrontations led to the prosecution of several protest leaders in the famous Chicago Seven (originally Eight) trial.
- Subsequent investigations and commissions condemned the police conduct; one national review concluded that police actions amounted to a “police riot.”
In short: the Chicago police responded with a hardline, forceful crackdown that produced large-scale violence, mass arrests, and enduring controversy.
Key elements of the police response
- Organized mass deployments in riot gear and tight lines to contain and disperse crowds around the convention area (Grant Park, Michigan Avenue, the Hilton, Lincoln Park).
- Repeated baton charges and use of clubs against demonstrators and many bystanders; charging into crowds and on sidewalks.
- Use of tear gas and other crowd-control measures in some places.
- Widespread arrests — numbering in the hundreds.
- Numerous injuries to demonstrators, journalists, and police; many episodes were recorded by TV news crews.
Consequences and reaction
- The scenes of police beating protesters were broadcast nationally, shocking the public and prompting sharp criticism.
- The confrontations led to the prosecution of several protest leaders in the famous Chicago Seven (originally Eight) trial.
- Subsequent investigations and commissions condemned the police conduct; one national review concluded that police actions amounted to a “police riot.”
In short: the Chicago police responded with a hardline, forceful crackdown that produced large-scale violence, mass arrests, and enduring controversy.
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