The Chicago 7: A timeline of the protests, the clashes, the trial and the fallout – Chicago Tribune Skip to content
  • Chicago 7 defendant Abbie Hoffman at the federal building in...

    James O'Leary / Chicago Tribune

    Chicago 7 defendant Abbie Hoffman at the federal building in Chicago during his trial Oct. 2, 1969.

  • Protesters take to the street in downtown Chicago during the...

    Walter Neal / Chicago Tribune

    Protesters take to the street in downtown Chicago during the Chicago 7 conspiracy trial on Oct. 11, 1969. The march and protest included the Students for a Democratic Society.

  • Abbie Hoffman is greeted by his wife outside the Federal...

    Don Casper / Chicago Tribune

    Abbie Hoffman is greeted by his wife outside the Federal Building in Chicago on Feb. 28, 1970. The Chicago Seven were free on bond.

  • Chicago police keep marchers in line along Jackson Boulevard between...

    Donald Casper / Chicago Tribune

    Chicago police keep marchers in line along Jackson Boulevard between Wabash and Michigan avenues on Feb. 21, 1970, as they protest the outcome of the Chicago 7 conspiracy trial in Chicago. They marched from the Federal Building to Soldier Field. Police kept them on the sidewalk.

  • Three defendants, Abbie Hofffman, from left, Rennie Davis and Jerry...

    James OLeary / Chicago Tribune

    Three defendants, Abbie Hofffman, from left, Rennie Davis and Jerry Rubin (all on the right) speak at a news conference at the Federal Building about the Chicago 7 trial on Feb. 14, 1970. The three told the press of the unfair treatment they are receiving from Judge Hoffman.

  • Chicago police pick up a officer after he was felled...

    Michael Budrys / Chicago Tribune

    Chicago police pick up a officer after he was felled in a hustle with a black youth, right, who hid in a restaurant and then was ousted by the owners during a Chicago 7 conspiracy trial protest on Oct. 11, 1969.

  • Abbie Hoffman, center seated, entertains his friends who came to...

    James O'Leary/Chicago Tribune

    Abbie Hoffman, center seated, entertains his friends who came to see him off for his 75 days in jail on Dec. 3, 1970, at the Civic Center in Chicago.

  • Activists hold a vigil at the Federal Building after they...

    Chicago Tribune historical photo

    Activists hold a vigil at the Federal Building after they marched by candlelight from Lincoln Park for the start of the Chicago 7 conspiracy trial on Sept. 23, 1969, in Chicago.

  • Lee Weiner, right, walks with his attorney in the Federal...

    Don Casper / Chicago Tribune

    Lee Weiner, right, walks with his attorney in the Federal Building on March 21, 1969, in Chicago. Weiner was indicted on criminal charges related to disturbances at the Democratic National Convention.

  • A policeman struggles with a helmeted woman in an attempt...

    William Yates / Chicago Tribune

    A policeman struggles with a helmeted woman in an attempt to arrest her during a clash at Balbo Drive and Michigan Avenue in Grant Park on Oct. 9, 1969, during the Chicago 7 conspiracy trial in Chicago.

  • Police restrain a demonstrator during a Loop clash on Oct....

    Michael Budrys / Chicago Tribune

    Police restrain a demonstrator during a Loop clash on Oct. 11, 1969, in Chicago. Mobs of people protested the Chicago 7 trial and the Vietnam War in downtown Chicago and scores were injured, including police.

  • Lee Weiner, right, arrives to the Federal Building for the...

    Don Casper / Chicago Tribune

    Lee Weiner, right, arrives to the Federal Building for the Chicago 7 conspiracy trial on Feb. 15, 1970, in Chicago.

  • Seven defendants in the Chicago 7 conspiracy trial hold a...

    Don Casper / Chicago Tribune

    Seven defendants in the Chicago 7 conspiracy trial hold a news conference at Christ the King Church after their release from jail on Feb. 28, 1970. From left are Lee Weiner, Rennie Davis, David Dellinger (who holds his granddaughter Michelle Burd), Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden and John Froines.

  • Police arrest a suspect in the attack of Richard Elrod,...

    Walter Neal / Chicago Tribune

    Police arrest a suspect in the attack of Richard Elrod, assistant city corporation counsel, on Oct. 11, 1969, during the Chicago 7 conspiracy trial and protest in Chicago. For several days in October, protesters responded to the trial and the war in Vietnam with "Days of Rage" demonstrations.

  • A protester is carried to a police vehicle by officers...

    Val Mazzenga / Chicago Tribune

    A protester is carried to a police vehicle by officers in the 1200 block of Lake Shore Drive during a protest of the Chicago 7 conspiracy trial in Chicago on Oct. 9, 1969.

  • Abbie Hoffman, center, is greeted by his wife outside the...

    Don Casper / Chicago Tribune

    Abbie Hoffman, center, is greeted by his wife outside the federal building in Chicago on Feb. 28, 1970. The Chicago 7 were free on bond.

  • Defendant Abbie Hoffman, center in group, walks with friends during...

    William Yates / Chicago Tribune

    Defendant Abbie Hoffman, center in group, walks with friends during a lunch break outside the federal building in Chicago on Feb. 14, 1970.

  • Defendants Abbie Hoffman, Rennie Davis and Jerry Rubin at a...

    James OLeary / Chicago Tribune

    Defendants Abbie Hoffman, Rennie Davis and Jerry Rubin at a news conference Oct. 23, 1969, during the Chicago 7 conspiracy trial at the federal building in Chicago.

  • Abbie Hoffman has his hair cut outside the federal building...

    William Yates / Chicago Tribune

    Abbie Hoffman has his hair cut outside the federal building in Chicago to send to fellow defendant Jerry Rubin at a publicity stunt during the Chicago 7 conspiracy trial on Sept. 26, 1969.

  • A police line forms in front of the Criminal Courts...

    James OLeary / Chicago Tribune

    A police line forms in front of the Criminal Courts Building at 26th Street and California Avenue in Chicago as protesters demonstrate their disapproval of the outcome of the Chicago 7 conspiracy trial on Feb. 21, 1970.

  • As the Chicago 7 trial nears its end, marchers walk...

    Donald Casper / Chicago Tribune

    As the Chicago 7 trial nears its end, marchers walk the picket line outside the federal building in downtown Chicago on Feb. 15, 1970.

  • Chicago 7 defendant Abbie Hoffman speaks to a crowd gathered...

    Luigi Mendicino / Chicago Tribune

    Chicago 7 defendant Abbie Hoffman speaks to a crowd gathered at a rally in Grant Park on Sept. 24, 1969, in Chicago.

  • Abbie Hoffman, Rennie Davis and Jerry Rubin, seated at table...

    James O'Leary / Chicago Tribune

    Abbie Hoffman, Rennie Davis and Jerry Rubin, seated at table left to right, speak during a news conference Oct. 23, 1969, about the Chicago 7 conspiracy trial at the federal building.

  • Anti-Vietnam War demonstrators march down Michigan Avenue in one of...

    William Yates / Chicago Tribune

    Anti-Vietnam War demonstrators march down Michigan Avenue in one of the peaceful events of the 1968 Democratic National Convention week, which attracted thousands of young protestors to the city.

  • Protest musician Phil Ochs sings to a crowd of demonstrators...

    Michael Budrys / Chicago Tribune

    Protest musician Phil Ochs sings to a crowd of demonstrators outside the Federal Building on Feb. 21, 1970. People were protesting the decision in the Chicago 7 conspiracy trial.

  • Chicago 7 defendants Lee Weiner, left, and Abbie Hoffman get...

    Luigi Mendicino/Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune

    Chicago 7 defendants Lee Weiner, left, and Abbie Hoffman get their hair cut during a political stunt outside the Federal Building on Sept. 26, 1969, in Chicago.

  • Youth protesting the Chicago 7 trial are arrested at Eugenie...

    Walter Kale / Chicago Tribune

    Youth protesting the Chicago 7 trial are arrested at Eugenie and Wells streets near Lincoln Park on Oct. 8, 1969, in Chicago.

  • A Nazi sympathizer marches at 8th Street and Michigan Avenue...

    Donald Casper / Chicago Tribune

    A Nazi sympathizer marches at 8th Street and Michigan Avenue on Oct. 11, 1969, during the Chicago 7 conspiracy trial in Chicago.

  • Chicago police block the door of Cook County Jail as...

    Michael Budrys / Chicago Tribune

    Chicago police block the door of Cook County Jail as demonstrators marched around the Criminal Courts Building on Feb. 21, 1970, in Chicago.

  • Police wrestle with a "girl revolutionary" in an attempt to...

    Jack Mulcahy / Chicago Tribune

    Police wrestle with a "girl revolutionary" in an attempt to disarm her on Oct. 9, 1969, during the Chicago 7 conspiracy trial. A plainclothes police officer is holding clubs taken from other marchers in the clash at Michigan Avenue and Balbo Drive.

  • Abbie Hoffman, left, and Jerry Rubin, right, show off their...

    William Yates / Chicago Tribune

    Abbie Hoffman, left, and Jerry Rubin, right, show off their judges robes at the Federal Building on Feb. 6, 1970, in Chicago during the Chicago 7 trial.

  • Protesters lob back tear gas canisters thrown by Chicago police...

    Chicago Tribune archive

    Protesters lob back tear gas canisters thrown by Chicago police in Grant Park in 1968.

  • The conspiracy trial ends and the jury leaves the Federal...

    William Yates / Chicago Tribune

    The conspiracy trial ends and the jury leaves the Federal Building by bus as jeering crowds pelt it with paper, confetti, and small rocks on Feb. 18, 1970, in Chicago. The crowd was angry at the jury's decision finding five of the seven defendants guilty of crossing state lines to incite riots.

  • Abbie Hoffman, center, speaks outside the federal building during a news...

    Cy Wolf / Chicago Tribune

    Abbie Hoffman, center, speaks outside the federal building during a news conference April 9, 1969, in Chicago. Hoffman and the other Chicago 7 defendants were in town for their arraignment before Judge Julius Hoffman.

  • Lee Weiner speaks with a megaphone at a demonstration in...

    Walter Kale / Chicago Tribune

    Lee Weiner speaks with a megaphone at a demonstration in Grant Park on April 17, 1970.

  • Abbie Hoffman stands on his hands outside the Federal Building...

    William Yates / Chicago Tribune

    Abbie Hoffman stands on his hands outside the Federal Building during the Chicago 7 conspiracy trial on Feb. 11, 1970, in Chicago.

  • Defendants in the Chicago Seven conspiracy trial hold a news...

    Chicago Tribune historical photo

    Defendants in the Chicago Seven conspiracy trial hold a news conference with reporters in Chicago on Jan. 5, 1970. Standing, from left, are John Froines, Tom Hayden, Jerry Rubin, Lee Weiner and Abbie Hoffman. Seated are Rennie Davis (left) and David Dellinger.

  • Workers board up the windows of the Criminal Courts Building...

    William Kelly / Chicago Tribune

    Workers board up the windows of the Criminal Courts Building at 26th Street and California Avenue in anticipation of trouble when protesters may march to the building in response to the Chicago 7 trial outcome, Feb. 20, 1970.

  • With some of their leaders under arrest, activists leave the...

    Jack Mulcahy / Chicago Tribune

    With some of their leaders under arrest, activists leave the battle area carrying their helmets and without their weapons on Oct. 9, 1969, at Michigan Avenue and Balbo Drive in Chicago.

  • Atty. William Kunstler, left, and Abbie Hoffman hold a press...

    Chicago Tribune historical photo

    Atty. William Kunstler, left, and Abbie Hoffman hold a press conference during the Chicago 7 trial on Sept. 15, 1969, in Chicago.

  • Six of the Chicago 7 defendants appear in 1970. Abbie...

    William Yates / Chicago Tribune

    Six of the Chicago 7 defendants appear in 1970. Abbie Hoffman, from left, John Froines, Lee Weiner, Jerry Rubin, Rennie Davis and Tom Hayden were acquitted of conspiracy, but five were convicted of other charges. The guilty verdicts were later overturned.

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The Democratic National Convention was held in Chicago in August 1968, in the summer of a tumultuous year. The events of that month, and a subsequent court case, are the subject of the new Aaron Sorkin movie “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”

The background

The year 1968 was a year of increasing protests against the Vietnam War, the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy in June and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in April and subsequent unrest, including in Chicago’s Garfield Park neighborhoods.

The convention was held over four days at the International Amphitheatre on Hasted Street on the South Side. Between Aug. 26-29, the Democratic Party would select Hubert Humphrey as its candidate for the presidential election the following November. (Incumbent president Lyndon B. Johnson had withdrawn; Humphrey would be defeated in the election by Richard Nixon.)

Anti-Vietnam War demonstrators march down Michigan Avenue in one of the peaceful events of the 1968 Democratic National Convention week, which attracted thousands of young protestors to the city.
Anti-Vietnam War demonstrators march down Michigan Avenue in one of the peaceful events of the 1968 Democratic National Convention week, which attracted thousands of young protestors to the city.

The protests

Before and during the convention, rallies and protests were held in downtown lakefront parks, including Grant Park several miles away from the convention site, mostly about American involvement in Vietnam under LBJ. Some were organized by the Yippies, the Youth International Party founded by Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin and a few friends and known for their street theater-style protests in New York. Another organizer was the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam (aka MOBE).

Protesters lob back tear gas canisters thrown by Chicago police in Grant Park in 1968.
Protesters lob back tear gas canisters thrown by Chicago police in Grant Park in 1968.

The clashes

In Chicago, Mayor Richard J. Daley said repeatedly that “law and order will be maintained” during the convention. Protesters were denied permits to march in the Loop and near the Amphitheatre. Smaller protests and demonstrations in the days leading up to the convention ended with police intervention, including a Yippie-led “nomination” of a pig for president in Civic Center plaza Aug. 23.

The city granted permission for a single afternoon rally in Grant Park on Aug. 28. That rally drew a crowd of several thousand, with a number of protesters afterwards moving into the Loop. They were stopped by police and the National Guard in front of the Conrad Hilton Hotel on Michigan Avenue, where the presidential candidates and their campaigns were headquartered. The ensuing clash with police was televised nationwide, with Americans treated to images of tear gas filling the evening air and chaotic and bloody clashes between young protestors and the police, alternating with coverage of Humphrey’s nomination.

The charges

In the aftermath in September, a federal grand jury met to consider criminal charges. A group that became known as the Chicago 7 was charged with conspiracy, inciting to riot and other crimes. The original eight defendants indicted on March 20, 1969, were Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, Lee Weiner and Bobby Seale. Weiner was the only Chicagoan. Seale was tried separately during the proceedings.

Separately, eight police officers were charged with violating the civil rights of demonstrators by use of excessive force.

Defendants in the Chicago Seven conspiracy trial hold a news conference with reporters in Chicago on Jan. 5, 1970. Standing, from left, are John Froines, Tom Hayden, Jerry Rubin, Lee Weiner and Abbie Hoffman. Seated are Rennie Davis (left) and David Dellinger.
Defendants in the Chicago Seven conspiracy trial hold a news conference with reporters in Chicago on Jan. 5, 1970. Standing, from left, are John Froines, Tom Hayden, Jerry Rubin, Lee Weiner and Abbie Hoffman. Seated are Rennie Davis (left) and David Dellinger.

The trial

The Chicago 7 trial opened before Judge Julius Hoffman in a courtroom for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago on Sept. 24, 1969. It would drag on for several months, with frequent courtroom disruptions. Seale, who is Black, and was gagged and bound to a chair on Oct. 29 after he spoke up in his own defense. The case finally went to the jury on Feb. 14, 1970. The next day Judge Hoffman convicted all defendants, plus defense attorneys William Kunstler and Leonard Weinglass, of contempt of court.

Abbie Hoffman is greeted by his wife outside the Federal Building in Chicago on Feb. 28, 1970. The Chicago Seven were free on bond.
Abbie Hoffman is greeted by his wife outside the Federal Building in Chicago on Feb. 28, 1970. The Chicago Seven were free on bond.

The aftermath

The jury returned its verdicts on Feb. 18, 1970. Froines and Weiner were acquitted. Dellinger, Davis, Hayden, Hoffman and Ruben were convicted of crossing state lines with intent to incite a riot. But in subsequent proceedings, the judge’s contempt charges were reversed, and all of the convictions for inciting riots were overturned.

SOURCES: Chicago Tribune; CNN; History.com; Wikipedia; Smithsonian Magazine; Britannica; Encyclopedia of Chicago; Chicago History Museum