These Harrowing Pictures Show How Democrats Protested In 1968
At the 1968 Democratic National Convention, some 10,000 demonstrators went toe-to-toe with 25,000 members of the National Guard and Chicago police to protest the political climate of the era.
In August 1968, at the height of both the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement, and following the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy in the months prior, the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago became a flashpoint for the anger and disenchantment of young members of the Democratic Party.
As members of the party convened to nominate Hubert H. Humphrey for president and Edmund S. Muskie for vice president, some 10,000 demonstrators had gathered in Chicago’s Grant Park to air their frustrations with the current political climate. On Aug. 28, protests turned violent when 25,000 members of the National Guard and Chicago police descended on the park with tear gas and mace to disperse the protesters, who responded in kind by throwing rocks and other objects. In total, 668 people were arrested and over 1,000 injured.
These color images, originally published by Life magazine in 1968, show the events that unfolded at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Members of the National Guard in barbed wire–fronted jeeps prepare to deploy against protesters.
National Guard members get last-minute instructions on crowd control.
Police mace a protester during the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
Police remove a demonstrator from a statue in Grant Park.
Protesters listen to music outside the Chicago Hilton Hotel.
Newly nominated Democratic presidential candidate Hubert Humphrey looks out of a hotel window at protesters.
Police confront demonstrators during the Democratic National Convention.
Bystanders carry a protester who was hurt in the melee with police.
People react after being exposed to tear gas.
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Gabriel H. Sanchez is the photo essay editor for BuzzFeed News and is based in New York City.
Contact Gabriel H. Sanchez at gabriel.sanchez@buzzfeed.com.
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