The 1968 Chicago riots at the Democrat National Convention, and the subsequent trial of 8 leaders of different radical left wing groups came to symbolise the story of 60s radicalism in the US. In this episode I analyse the real events and compare them to Aaron Sorkin’s excellent recent film The Trial of the Chicago 7. I answer the question of who started the riots – the protestors or the police (spoiler: it was the police) – and discuss the context of the Vietnam war and the struggle for the future of the Democratic party. I also reveal which of the various factions prosecuted at the trial – the SDS, MOBE, the Black Panthers and the Yippies – I think I am most similar to.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed