CIA Special Report: Democratic National Convention

The following hard information has been received from sources considered reliable and represent the more noteworthy developments in the current demonstration and resistance atmosphere surrounding the Democratic National Convention.

At approximately 4 P.M., 28 August, about one hundred members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference including the Reverends Abernathy and Young, began a peaceful march to the Hilton Hotel. Augmented by thousands of Hippies, the original one hundred marchers soon grew to a crowd of from 3000 to 5000. Upon reaching the vicinity of the Hotel, Hippies in the group attempted to rush the Hilton and the conflict with police and troops was on. Prior to the outbreak of violence, Abernathy and Young left the march and departed for the Convention Amphitheater.

Early in the evening of 28 August 1968, thousands of dissidents gathered in Grant Park, heard speeches and pep talks by Dave Dellinger, leader of the New Left, Tom Newman of the Hippie movement and Dick Gregory. Many of the participants in this rally later moved on the Hilton Hotel and joined in the battle with the authorities.

Jerry Rubin, leader of the Yippies, was arrested during the height of the conflict and charged with inciting to riot. It had been reported earlier that Rubin had been frightened by the rough action and was going to remove himself from the scene.

Other dissident leaders arrested during the course of the day included anti-war spokesman Staughton Lind, Abbie Hoffman, a leader of the Yippies and David Wyatt, an official in both the Yippie and Hippie groups.

Picketing demonstrations, planned by the National Mobilization Committee, are to take place all day Thursday, 29 August 1968 at the following locations: U.S. Army Induction Center, Chicago Police Headquarters, Federal Building, Welfare Offices and major Loop banks that conduct business in South Africa.

Number dissident groups such as the Radical Organizing Committee, Students for a Democratic Society, Womens Liberation, West Side Organization and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference plan meetings and/or demonstrations for Thursday, 29 August 1968.

--Central Intelligence Agency, August 29, 1968