The rioters were the police. The violators of the public’s civil rights and civil liberties were the police. I was there working on the McCarthy for President campaign. I watched them act like thugs. As Mayor Daley aptly said, The police are not here to prevent disorder, they are here to create disorder.

Mr. Klimaski, you have your facts wrong and your quote is in error — our original smooth-talking Mayor Daley’s quote to the press was: “Gentlemen, Gentlemen, the policeman isn’t there to create disorder, the policeman is there to preserve disorder.” Thd truth is thousands of angry anti-war demonstrators came to Chicago with the stated goal of disrupting the Democratic National Convention — a very ironic move as their antics in Chicago help to lead to the “silent majority” rejecting their message and electing Republican Richard Nixon.

Imus had a good quote from ‘da mare’, from a press conference where he is responding to criticism of his boys in blue: “da poelece aren’t here ta create disorda, they are here ta maintain disorda”. A Freudian slip that couldn’t have described the police riot any better.

Harmless fraternity or glorification of police brutality?

I was not there… but I am of the opinion that there’s nothing “harmless” about the police - then or now. The reason so few people trust cops these days is because we’ve seen so many reasons NOT to. Chicago is just one example of many.

I have no doubt that individual acts may have occurred which went contrary to the overall picture - but facts are facts. If you can’t recognize a couple centuries of severe abuse in the Chicago (and other) police, then you should really raise your head from the sand and take a breath!

No - that is not my real name, officer! So put away your stick.

It is a disturbing and scary thing that the Fraternal Order of Police, presumably representative of the current police officers of Chicago, are taking the step of not only grinding this old axe, but implying that “the Left” is collectively wrong and culpable not only for ‘68 but apparently miscellaneous and sundry offenses. The streets then were not just “Marxists”, but many others who opposed the war. I am appalled by the reactionary tone of their website. Does this site really speak for most cops? Please let us know, Officers. We deserve fair warning if you’re going to behave like Brown Shirts in the future.

I, too, was there. As a young military reservist carrying a Chicago ‘Special Police” badge (purely political), I observed the crowds from within. I saw angry people of all classes and persuasions, and scared officers doing more or less what their respective commanders were ordering. Fear and confusion was pervasive and shared on both- or more accurately all- sides. Police felt they were just doing their jobs and stereotyped the protesters as leftists or Marxists or young thugs- though many were not young at all. Although there was in fact no stated goal of the thousands of protesters, the protest was against the Viet Nam war, and concerns that the right-wing of the Democratic Party might capture the convention and prolong the war. As in the Iraq “weapons of mass destruction” war and slaughter of a million innocents and crippling of some multiple, the Silent Majority went along to get along, not having the education or energy to risk unemployment or material security of their families to protest something that realistically was not in their backyard. America was built upon greed and exploitation, a vast land of potential wealth here for the taking. Whatever Washington did or does is done with calculation that the majority will initially support it’s decision, and the Riots of ‘68 proved no exception.
I doubt that after 40 years any police officer then employed is still so. The FOP retrospective is clearly a Red Herring for a dangerously psychopathic manipulation to show the current Silent Majority that young rebels- and by proxy a young Washington leadership- are once again bad for the status quo. Don’t fall for the bait on either side- you’ll just encourage that steroidal pathology to absurdly attempt to self-vindicate a dysfunctional and solipsistic world view. May god bless america!

What a bunch of losers. When a group of dedicated police officers gets together to reminisce about historical events in which they took part, malcontents want to spoil their day. I retired after 30 years on the CPD and look forward to participating in this reunion. The men and women of the Chicago Police Department owe no one an apology for their actions during the two year span covering the Democratic Convention and the Days of Rage. My fellow officers were intelligent, dedicated family men and women who did their jobs and kept the city safe.

Anarchists came to the city to disrupt the democratic process. They continue with their rhetoric but provide little substantive efforts to better their environment. They choose instead to intimidate a bunch of old men getting together for a good time. Those anarchists did not intimidate us then and they don’t intimidate us now.

We lived history and accurately recall who did what.

John Nielson (my real name)

I wouldn’t go to the reunion without Al White. Al and I were detailed to Area 1 T.F. We spent the week in the loop. On the night that the Mayor order everybody out of Lincoln we were patrolling on Michigan Avenue. What started out as peaceful soon turned ugly Our 4 man car and six others decided that things were out of control and they needed our help. All 7 cars met at the Michigan Ave. Bridge and from there, we rushed to the southwest corner of the park and were met by thousands of rioters fleeing the park. It was like Cowboys and Indians. They demolished all seven cars and turned over several. Al and I stood back to back, but were still clobbered. So much for the myth of peaceful protesters.

I was about 20 years old and had a good job and short hair in 1968. A friend and I went there to check out the “Hippe” girls. We were standing on the steps of the Hilton when the police formed a line East to West across Michigan Ave. I believe it was at Balboa St., right in front of us.
The demonstrators were just to the north of the line. There was a large searchlight, like the type used at grand openings for advertising purposes, on the street shinning up into the sky directly behind the police line. Suddenly a brick came flying over the police line and smashed into the searchlight. Then all hell broke out. The demonstrators threw all kinds of junk at the police and the police moved north to try to stop the attack. I ran like hell north on the West sidewalk and saw some demonstrators wearing white lab coats and army helmet liners painted white with red crosses painted on them. They were prepared for handling injuries. This was a planned attack against the police and the demonstrators got exactly what they wanted, T.V. coverage to promote their cause. Calling this a “Police Riot” over and over did not make it true. I guess if you tell enough people enough lies often enough, they will eventually believe you.
The bottom line is, Who sponsored this demonstration? Who paid to bring the demonstrators to Chicago in the first place. Who stood to gain anything from this event? Funny how nobody talks about that aspect of the event. There’s so much more to this whole thing and I doubt if we’ll ever really know exactly what happened and why.
GOD Bless the Chicago Police.
Keats

If the the FOP were going to get together to collectively admit that the actions of the Chicago Police were wrong in 1968, that would be fantastic and many would applaud their courage. Instead they kling to false beliefs from 40+ years ago. Just as in Iraq today, where people are protesting their government actions, and the government responds with violence against citizens, the beatings and voilence against those with the moral courage to oppose those in power cannot override the truth. The Vietnam was wrong then just as the war in Iraq is wrong today. We need the fortitude and beliefs of those who gathered in Grant Park in 1968. The people do have power and the FOP and others cannot change the basic truth no matter how much they celebrate.