1968 Democratic National Convention protests
The 1968 Democratic National Convention protests were a series of protests against the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War that took place prior to and during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois. The protests lasted approximately seven days, from August 23 to August 29, 1968.
| 1968 Democratic National Convention protests | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the 1968 U.S. presidential election, the Protests of 1968, Opposition to the Vietnam War and political violence in the United States during the Cold War | |||
Chicago police drag an anti-Vietnam war protester across Michigan Avenue on August 28, 1968, during the Democratic National Convention as the crowd chants "The whole world is watching". | |||
| Date | August 23–29, 1968 | ||
| Location | Chicago, Illinois | ||
| Parties | |||
| |||
| Lead figures | |||
Abbie Hoffman Richard J. Daley | |||
| Casualties | |||
| Death(s) | 1 civilian killed | ||
| Injuries | 500+ protestors 100+ other civilians 152 police officers | ||
Many left-wing counterculture and anti-Vietnam War groups, as well as supporters of anti-war Democratic candidate Eugene McCarthy, began planning protests, marches, and demonstrations in response to the convention and the impending presidential nomination of Democratic vice-president nominee Hubert Humphrey. There were several attempts by local Chicago authorities to prevent the protests from occurring; however, they were unsuccessful. Thus, the city promised "law and order" in order to suppress the protesters. As a result, many protesters, reporters, and bystanders were met with unprecedented levels of police brutality and police violence by the Chicago Police Department, particularly in Grant Park and Michigan Avenue in Chicago during the convention. The actions by Chicago police, the Illinois National Guard, and other law enforcement agencies were later described by the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence as a "police riot".
During the evening of August 28, 1968, with the police riot occurring on Michigan Avenue in front of the Democratic party's convention headquarters, the Conrad Hilton hotel, television networks broadcast live as the anti-war protesters began the now-iconic chant "The whole world is watching".