Days of Rage
The Days of Rage (German: Tage des Zorns; Tage der Wut ) was the name for a series of direct actions on a total of four days in October 1969 in Chicago .
Planning and action
They were organized by the Weathermen faction of the Students for a Democratic Society . The group planned the actions for the period from October 8th to 11th as “National Action” with the Vietnam War -related slogan “bring the war home.” Activist Bill Ayers and his colleagues expected thousands of young people at the Days of Rage white workers. However, these did not materialize and the approximately 800 Weatherman demonstrators were expected by a large police force. Nonetheless, the protesters took direct action and on the last day of the protests there were still 300 activists ready to clash with the police.
During the demonstrations there were violent street battles with the police. One student died. A total of 8 demonstrators were shot and 700 were arrested. The Weathermen movement declared war on the state apparatus in 1970 and most of its members went underground. The trigger for this was the shooting of the chairman of the Black Panther Party in the Illinois section, Fred Hampton , by the police.
background
In the early 1960s, many students shared a common anger over racism, social injustice and later the Vietnam War. The radical direct actions of the Days of Rage Plan marked the turning point in the history of the US student movement Students for a Democratic Society . Initially, the politicized students had the plan to gain influence on the peace and civil rights movement, which should lead to a realignment of the Democratic Party . In June 1962 there was a meeting at which the 60-page declaration of the Port Huron Statement was agreed. It attested to the ruling political system that it had run down. The paper called for an alliance of blacks, students, peace groups, left organizations and publications. The students, it was said in the paper, are of particular importance because they can provide the impetus for radical activities.
In 1969 the radicalized wing of the organization called for the Days of Rage. In addition to students, radicalized black sections of the population also took part, but hardly any white young workers. The violent reactions to the Days of Rage led the supporters of the movement to further radicalization. Many students then expressed their solidarity with the Weather People . The Weathermen showed their courage by taking the risk of being injured or killed. They showed that there was an attitude behind their sometimes “martial poses” and their aggressive rhetoric. This also led to the movement being respected by the civil rights movement and other groups that actually opposed violence.
swell
- ↑ http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/chi-090617-days-of-rage-pictures,0,4678644.photogallery The Chicago Tribune speaks of four days, other sources of three days on which the demonstrations took place.
- ^ Dohrn, Ayers, Jones (2006). Sing a Battle Song: The Revolutionary Poetry, Statements, and Communiques of the Weather Underground 1970-1974 (p. 61). Seven Stories Press. ISBN 978-1583227268
- ↑ https://www.heise.de/tp/features/Sarah-Palin-trifft-den-Wettermann-3420455.html