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Being bold here. I doubt that an interview between Daley and Cronkite explicitly states that Daley played on the fears of anyone. If someone has a copy of the original interview, please share if poss. |
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In 1967, the [[Yippie]] movement had already begun planning a youth festival in Chicago to coincide with the Democratic National Convention. They were not alone; other groups, such as Students For a Democratic Society and the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam, also made their presence known.<ref>Farber 1988: 5.</ref> When asked about anti-war demonstrators, Daley kept repeating to reporters that “No thousands will come to our city and take over our streets, or city, our convention.”<ref>Gill, Donna. “LBJ-Humphrey Slate Seen by Party Leader.” Chicago Tribune, January 9, 1968, p.2.</ref> In the end, 10,000 demonstrators gathered in Chicago for the convention where they were met by 23,000 police and National Guardsmen.<ref name="Jennings & Brewster 1998: 413">Jennings & Brewster 1998: 413.</ref> Daley also thought that one way to prevent demonstrators from coming to Chicago was to refuse to grant permits which would allow for people to protest legally.<ref name="Gitlin 1987: 319">Gitlin 1987: 319.</ref>
After the violence which took place at the Chicago convention, Daley claimed as his main reason for calling in so many Guardsmen and police was that he had received reports that there were going to be plots to assassinate many of the leaders, including himself
While several protests had taken place before serious violence occurred, the events headed by the Yippies were not without comedy. Surrounded by reporters on August 23, 1968, [[Jerry Rubin]], a Yippie leader, folk singer [[Phil Ochs]], and other activists held their own presidential nominating convention with their candidate [[Pigasus (politics)|Pigasus]], an actual pig. When the Yippies paraded Pigasus at the Civic Center, ten policemen arrested Rubin, Pigasus, and six others. This resulted in Pigasus becoming a media hit.<ref>Farber 1988: 167.</ref>
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