1968 Democratic National Convention Riots
On August 26, 1968, 10,000 anti-war demonstrators and 23,000 police and National Guardsmen squared off in Grant Park in the biggest riot in the city's history. When one of the demonstrators started lowering an American flag, policemen started to beat him. The demonstrators responded by throwing rocks, food, and pieces of concrete. As the clash escalated, protestors began chanting "Hell no we won't go" and "Pigs are whores." Police began using tear gas to force the massive crowd to exit the park. Perhaps the most famous image of the event took place in front of the Hilton Hotel, where fighting between protestors occurred in front of live TV cameras for 17 minutes. As this happened, people shouted "The whole world is watching." The riots triggered a famous trial in which eight people were charged with conspiring to incite the riots. After Bobby Seale disrupted the trial, he was severed from the case. The jury decided that five of the defendants incited the riots but that no conspiracy was involved. Two defendants were acquitted of all charges. Separately, Judge Julius Hoffman sentenced all seven defendants and two defense lawyers to contempt-of-court jail sentences, however, all of the contempt sentences and the riot charges were either dismissed by higher courts or dropped by the government.