Any unit in the area, officer response. [sirens] 607, you have it. 619. We have another large group. I dupont circle. [sirens] [whistles] large group at 34th and prospect. Large group at 34th and prospect. . [group singing] . We and going to study war no more. [chanting] the whole world is watching. The whole world is watching. The whole world is watching. The whole world is watching. Narrator this was the spring offensive, the mobilization of masses of people at a given time and place attracts worldwide News Coverage and attention. For the protest organizer, inciter and promoter, it is a vital and necessary tactic. On april 24, 1971, the National Peace action coalition, supported by welfare rights groups, labor unions, and others, held a massive demonstration in washington, dc. Some 175,000 people from all walks of life, with differing ideologies and purposes, marched from the white house to the white house to the capitol. Washington has grown accustomed to this method of voicing dissent. This was an organized demonstration with parade permits, marshalls, and responsible leadership. The demonstrators came, their positions on the war, racial descrimination and other issues were made known. Officers of the metropolitan police were directed to maintain a low visibility profile. Their role was, as always, to protect the Constitutional Rights of citizens, intervening only to meet emergency situations. There were few laws broken, few arrests. Most who came in the name of peace returned to their jobs and homes or schools. But some who came to break the peace stayed on in west potomac park. For them, the april 24 rally was only a prelude to mayday, an opportunity to advance their own welldefined aim, to shut down the federal government. The country should respond from coast to coast with demonstrations at universities and communities across this country. Narrator these members of the new left decided the discipline and tactics of Peaceful Assembly were no longer acceptable. As early as june, 1970, strategy conferences were held by radical leaders in milwaukee and ann arbor. . Here, a new tactic was adopted, massive civil disobedience and confrontation. Instead of large crowds peaceably assembling to petition their government, activity would move to unlawful direct action. Stop the government, paralyze the judicial system. Challenge Law Enforcement and embarrass the establishment. A detailed 24page tactical manual was printed and distributed across the country, prepared by the mayday collective of the Peoples Coalition for peace and justice, it scheduled 10 days of civil disobedience between april 26 and may 7 to take advantage of the planned april 24 march. Truly disruptive activities early disruptive activities focused on Selective Service, education and welfare, Internal Revenue service, and the justice department. In each action, the tactics vary, but the objective was the same to disrupt the government. [applause] narrator on tuesday, april 27, mayday action called for demonstrators to obstruct entrances to the Selective Service building. [applause] when federal employees refused to be intimidated, demonstrators turned to less violent forms of protest. [crowd chanting no more war ] draft cards were burned. The National Anthem and the American Flag were made a mockery. Narrator the next morning, maydayers again took up their positions at employee entrances. Police ordered them to disperse. Those that did not were taken into custody, leaving behind only their traces. All we are saying, is give peace a chance. It is wrong narrator although rain canceled wednesdays march on the Internal Revenue service, the mayday collective joined at the department of health, education, and welfare on thursday. [crowd crosstalk] when they were refused access to the entire building, they ripped down Police Ordered the crowd to disperse. Again, those that did not were methodically arrested. [shouting] narrator in each action, recognized organizations, such as the quakers, the southern christian leadership conference, National Welfare rights organization, and others, played a role in the agenda by the mayday leaders. Amen, amen, amen narrator on friday, mayday leaders unveiled a new strategy at the department of justice. Demonstrators moved in in waves to block entrances. [police on bullhorn] [indiscernible] the manual instructed units of 10 to 25 people to sit down and pass the pipe and play music until arrested. 5,6,7,8 power to the people [clapping] narrator as each unit was broken up or arrested, another wave took its place. Narrator the tactic was designed to test the ability of police to handle the arrest of large groups, but the action failed. You are under arrest. Narrator police utilized field arrest reports on the scene to facilitate booking procedures. [radio chatter] narrator that afternoon, southern christian leadership members, acting under a parade permit authorized by the city, were joined by more mayday demonstrators at the justice department. We shall not be moved narrator when the permit expired, the Police Command was to disperse. This refused to leave were arrested. From april 26 to 30, Police Arrested over 1000 lawbreakers. Each was properly processed, collateral bond was posted, and the demonstrators released. Many would be arrested again in other mayday demonstrations. During this period, the west potomac park campsite became the command, communications, and Training Center for all mayday activities. Initial mayday tactics called for headquarters in rock creek park, a rugged 1700 acre park that runs through the heart of washington. Recognizing the surveillance and logistics problems with such a site, the department of justice and interior limited the assembly permit to the west potomac park area. Narrator although the permit prohibited camping, the mayday manual advised people to bring tents, blankets, food, and communication equipment. The list of essentials included wire cutters, Water Bottles for teargas, and dope to share with fellow demonstrators. By may 1, armies of blue denim and khaki pants streamed into potomac park. Collegians, hippies and high school students, freaks with drugs and templates. Subsequent investigations and arrests showed 75 of the participants came from outside the washington area. Narrator some came for a widely publicized weekend marathon rock festival. Some came to get high. Some came for some action. And some came to stop the war. During the rock festival, hundreds of cases of Drug Overdose and excessive drinking were reported. A local unit set up to disseminate drug information quickly turned into emergency treatment center. The emergency physician treated over 600 narcotics cases. By midday, Police Aerial surveillance indicated the crowd had grown to over 25,000. Early evening photos showed 45,000 had spilled over the confines of the park, posing Health Hazards and threatening the destruction of public property. These repeated and flagrant violations of the park permit, which was negotiated and accepted by the mayday leaders, left no alternative for the government but to close the campsite down. It was up to chief wilson to execute the revocation, the singularly challenging and delicate assignment for the metropolitan police force. At 4 00 a. M. Sunday, all members of the department were mobilized for a topsecret predawn trip to west potomac park. At 6 00 a. M. , the announcement was made to the slumbering and surprised crowd that they must vacate the area or face arrest and their permit had been revoked. They must vacate the area or face arrest. Those who do not leave the area are in violation of the law and will be arrested. All those wishing to leave the area and avoid arrest will be given time to do so. You may leave the grounds narrator the mayday manual instructed to maintain communication, prevent panic, and not be allowed to be chased out of town. Instead, the opposite happened. The demonstrators offered almost no resistance. [bullhorn] attention, this is the metropolitan police department. [indiscernible] everyone is supposed to be leaving now. You may begin to arrest people that do not move on . This is possible, but not probable. We wont be arresting for some time. [helicopter whirring] narrator within hours, nearly 45,000 youths were cleared from the campsite. Most who left the park also left the city. Others who might have stayed for mondays planned demonstration scattered to all parts of the district. In all, only a handful of hardcore militants who remained in defiance of chief wilsons order were arrested at the park. Get off phony eyelashes and take off your girdle. Youre a pig. Stop feeling me up. Whats your name . None of your business you are all pigs, all of you narrator the 15,000 demonstrators who remained in washington were joined by several thousand militants for the following days traffic stopping action. Mondays tactics called for massive disobedience at 21 selected targets. Targets were broken into two areas, traffic circles and bridges. Mayday leaders flet if these were blocked during rush hours, government business would be stopped. We are going to see to it, that the thousands of government workers who have a right to go to work peacefully are not interfered with those few militants who, in the name of peace abroad, presume they have the right to break the peace at home. Narrator predawn washington was quiet. I will be back very shortly. Narrator the task of keeping the bridges clear of demonstrators was assigned to federal troops, allowing more policemen to be assigned to strategic targets. At 4 30 a. M. , inbound commuter traffic on washington bridges was heavy, but flowing normally, as federal employees sought to avoid disruption. Then, at 6 00 a. M. , police, protesters, and commuters converged. [whistle] 1000 demonstrators blocked dupont circle. 1000 swarmed onto washington circle. Over 1000 more hit georgetown. Some sat in busy intersections, taunting police. Some threw trash or slashed tires. Others pushed cars into the streets, alarming innocent bystanders. [whistles] [crowd chant] 1,2, 3,4, we dont want your fucking war narrator the brunt of these Early Morning clashes was borne by district police. The tactic was to send in scooter and motorcycle officers to evaluate the situation, then send in patrolman and buses to scatter and arrest protesters. The military followed up to maintain security. Despite sporadic blockages, the major traffic arteries were kept open as Police Responded with tear gas to drive the demonstrators off. During this critical period, police maintained normal booking procedures to the to maximize the potential for prosecution. At 6 23 a. M. , chief wilson made the decision to discontinue the timeconsuming project of using field arrest forms. Violators working in groups were ordered to disperse, to leave the area. This area is closed. Narrator warnings were given every two to three minutes by cruiser loudspeaker and bullhorn. Those that did not take the opportunity were taken into custody without exception. By early afternoon, field arrest forms were reinstated, and arrests totaled over 7000, the largest arrest total in American History. Our Nations Capital does not possess facilities for detaining 7000 prisoners. No government should stand ready to arrest and detain thousands of people at one time. When the police were forced to take action, they were also forced to use facilities which provided a minimum of security, shelter, and sanitation. This was what the demonstrators wanted. As stated in the manual, it greatly enhances our tactical position if the jails and detention facilities are filled with demonstrators. The spectre of thousands of people jailed in the governments unsuccessful attempt to control mayday will graphically demonstrate the political isolation of the warmaking government. Tens of thousands going to jail will make the choices painfully clear to americas rulers, end the war or face social chaos. After demonstrators filled police and court cellblocks and the d. C. Jail, police established a temporary Holding Facility at robert f. Kennedy stadium. [shouting] narrator to force further confrontation, some of the prisoners attempted to escape. Others slashed and mutilated a large tarp covering the field. [applause] [cheering] narrator when it was apparent that bogged down court Court Procedures would cause the detention of many prisoners overnight, they were transferred to the washington coliseum, a large auditorium nearby. By nightfall, all demonstrators were indoors. Blankets were secured from the military, and more than enough food to take care of the prisoners needs. Reaction of some prisoners was to destroy the sanitary facility. Tear up the blankets and throw the food on the floor. Many refused to be properly booked and identified. [loud ambient crowd noise] narrator on tuesday, with most of their fellow demonstrators under arrest, the remaining mayday activists employed hit and run tactics throughout the morning. [shouting] [whistles] [sirens] [helicopter] [whistles] narrator about noon, police prepared for a planned march on the justice department. Official estimates indicated about 800 protesters would take part. However, these were joined by 3,000 others who were released by the court. Police warned the demonstrators to disperse or be arrested. Most left peacefully, but 1500 chose to be arrested. [applause] narrator final mayday action called for a massive siege of the u. S. Capitol, to hold Congress Hostage until it held a peace treaty with the north vietnamese. By now, 3000 hardcore radicals was all that was left of a mayday tribe that had numbered 45,000 five days before. At 1 00, they mounted the east steps of the capitol to applaud political oratory against the establishment and the war. Shortly after the speeches, police again ordered the demonstrators to disperse or be arrested. Some 1200 reacted as the tactical manual dictated. No matter what anyone says, no matter what laws we break, we will not leave our actioned targets until we are successful creating the specter of social chaos, or until we are arrested. They were arrested. [shouting] narrator the remaining few who were drawn to washington by the romance and excitement of the event vanished the spring offensive was over. Mayday, with its stated objective of stopping the government, had failed. For both the Nations Capital and metropolitan police, it was business as usual. As president nixon asked, the metropolitan police had performed its duties in a professional manner, dealing fairly with violators of the law. To the end that all citizens who live, work and visit our Nations Capital were afforded the protection of the law. But there will be other demonstrations, other crises, as protesters and police alike discovered, there can be no tactical manual for a mayday. Each incident is unique. Each situation must be individually evaluated and acted upon. For in Law Enforcement today, the Police Officer is often the in events involving national and local issues for he is neither responsible or empowered to resolve, yet he remains a crucial pivot around which economic, racial, and other issues revolve. Youre watching American History tv a weekend, every weekend on cspan3. 1960, four africanamerican students sat down at a segregated woolworths lunch counter in greensboro, north carolina. Tracy blocker, author and university of massachusetts professor of africanamerican studies takes the questions about protests against segregation during that time. From thelook documentary, february 1. When we walked into the store, we wanted to prove that we were customers
vimarsana.com © 2020. All Rights Reserved.