Berkeley riots
Encyclopedia
The Berkeley riots were a series of protests at and near the University of California, Berkeley
in the 1960s. Many of these protests were a small part of the larger Free Speech Movement
, which had national implications. These riots were headed under the informal leadership of students Mario Savio
, Brian Turner
, Bettina Apthecker, Steve Weissman
, Art Goldberg, Jackie Goldberg
, and others.
, the Free Speech Movement
, and the Vietnamese war protests in Berkeley, California. The Berkeley riots were not the first demonstrations to be held in, and around the University of California Campus. Since before World War II, students had demonstrated at the university. In the 1930s, the students at Berkeley led massive demonstrations protesting the United States ending its disarmament policy and the approaching war. Throughout the course of World War II, these demonstrations continued with the addition of strikes against fascism; however, they were largely symbolic in form. This can be inferred as the student groups leading these demonstrations did not necessarily seek, nor did they expect their demonstrations to result in change. Nevertheless, this passive approach to demonstration changed in the 1950s at the height of the McCarthy era. From 1949 to 1950, students and teaching assistants at UC Berkeley rallied against the anti-communist loyalty oath that professors were forced to take at the university. Up until the Berkeley riots, these demonstrations were the largest student protests witnessed in the United States. Considering the relatively high presence of demonstrations on the Berkeley campus in its history, and the fact that it had already been the site of the largest student demonstration in the United States, it provided a perfect site to nurture the Berkeley riots.
or morality
as presented by religious authorities. However, 20th century scholars began to use the term in a secular context.
During this era, many people were influenced by the “antinomian personality”, a behavioral style which “places characteristic emphasis on intuition, immediacy, self-actualization, transcendence, and similar themes familiar with Hippie conduct.” Those settled into this psychological state embrace the present, while rejecting the past and fearing the future. The antinomian takes on a holistic attitude which results from the “confusion as to whether he is an agent or an agent to be acted upon and serves to compensate for the isolation he suffers.” The antinomian often confronts "forces which make the individual aware of his impotence.” All of these traits are then combined into the stereotypical hippie persona, as the antinomian “treats his mind as if it were completely malleable, devalues reality, rejects reason and understanding, and selects certain experiences to create a fantasied, dogmatic cosmic view of the world.” In doing so, “the individual internalizes an objective world which he perceives to be reliable and consistent.” As the individual now views the world in this fashion, he is easily agitated when the outside world deviates from his ideal and seeks to control its movements. Somehow, this mindset spread across all of America, in an almost fad-like fashion, and many shifted their minds into an antinomian state.
that embraced antinomianism, influencing their distaste for authority and its ability to set boundaries around them.
was one of the groups advocating antinomian ideals. In their work, they found themselves unable to “accept restrictions imposed by love even though they advocated it”. As they found that love was too fallible to be construed as a source for happiness, they sought to find joy in a “sense of individuality and yet obliterate the pain of aloneness”. In order to achieve this, Jefferson Airplane suggested an antinomian definition of love which put an “emphasis on a present state of fusion, sensation, and escape”. The antinomian feel is perfectly described in the song, "White Rabbit”
, in which the “reason and teachings of an older generation” were rejected, so that “truth and transcendence” could be found, suggesting drugs as a viable way to do so.
, besides gaining a reputation as one the greatest musicians in American history, became a kind of high priest for a spiritual journey into new, mystical worlds. Permeating throughout his lyrics was evidence of his own antinomian personality. In the beginning of his first album, Are You Experienced
, songs such as “Love or Confusion” and “Purple Haze
” expressed Hendrix’s inability to understand or receive love, leading him to a resolution that his life was unimportant in the songs “Can You See Me” and “Burning of the Midnight Lamp
”. In line with the antinomian personality, Hendrix came to this deduction as his inability to have power over his love life garnered a feeling of weakness within him. In order to counter this, Hendrix dismisses any thought of close relationships or responsibility, instead turning to purely sexual relationships at the end of the album in the songs “Fire
” and “Foxey Lady”. The path this album takes - from defeat to self-loathing to empowering the self through unorthodox means - perfectly illustrates the psychological path of the antinomian. Hendrix continued along this vein as he ended his second album, “Axis: Bold as Love
”, with a song of the same name. This song further promoted his antinomian themes by “rejecting reason and tradition in favor of finding truths through sensory faculties, and building a protective fantasy through manipulation of the mind”. As people were rejecting the former moral system taught to them by their parents—conventional Christianity
-- they were eager to accept the teachings of this new spiritual guide.
, founded by Bobby Seale
and Huey P. Newton
in late 1966, aimed to improve civil rights of African Americans and to rid police brutality against African Americans, especially in the Oakland area. Through their Ten Point Program, the Black Panthers were able to establish a foundation for their organization as a whole. The Black Panther Party used the technique of social agitation, in the form of vigilantism, their survival programs, and more broadly their resistance to accept and conform to make a name for themselves in the Civil Rights Movement
.
Their organization and establishment inspired the likes of the Berkeley students and lead to cohesion between the two groups. The event epitomizing this union was the Sheraton Palace demonstration, in San Francisco, California. The Berkeley Students involved in the various student groups (I.E. SLATE & CORE) and the members of the Black Panther Party united to protest outside the hotel while meetings between the administration board were being conducted inside. The goal of the protest was to advance the job opportunities of African Americans within the hotel through the use of social agitation. The protest proved successful, as the Hotel eventually signed an agreement allowing African Americans opportunities to not only advance but also to be hired into managerial positions; greater opportunity than present previously.
(SNCC) was one of the principal organizations of the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. There is substantial evidence that many of the students involved in the Berkeley riots acquired their spirit of protest and learned techniques of civil disobedience through prior involvement in civil rights groups.
(VDC) was a coalition of left-wing political groups, student groups, labour organizations, and pacifist religions in the United States of America that opposed the Vietnam War. It was formed in Berkeley, California in the spring of 1965 by activist Jerry Rubin, and was active through the majority of the Vietnam war, organizing several rallies and marches in California as well as coordinating and sponsoring nationwide protests.
was the main “New Left
” student group for the Berkeley campus throughout the 1950s and 60’s. Founded in February, 1958, the SLATE Coordinating Committee aimed to promote students running for the Associated Students of University of California (ASUC) who were committed to engage in issue-oriented political education both on and off campus. SLATE was involved with both on-and off-campus issues such as "fair bear" minimum wages for students and affordable housing for students. SLATE led protests against compulsory ROTC, demonstrations against the death penalty, protests against the California House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), and protests against racial discrimination.
(CORE) is a U.S. civil rights organization that played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement from its foundation in 1942 to the mid-1960s. Membership in CORE is stated to be open to "anyone who believes that 'all people are created equal' and is willing to work towards the ultimate goal of true equality throughout the world." Since 1968, CORE has been led by Roy Innis
.
(FSM) was a student protest which took place during the 1964–1965 academic year on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley under the informal leadership of students Mario Savio, Brian Turner, Bettina Apthecker, Steve Weissman, Art Goldberg, Jackie Goldberg, and others. In protests unprecedented at the time, students insisted that the university administration lift a ban on on-campus political activities and acknowledge the students' right to free speech and academic freedom.
, a high percentage of individuals involved in the protest were members of the student population of the Berkeley campus.
, erected a table in front of Sproul Hall.
. The demonstration was in response to the proposed expulsion of Jack Weinberg and other members of the Free Speech Movement and other student political groups for their involvement in the recent protests on the Berkeley campus, as well as for the Universities refusal to drop charges against student political group leaders. The initial plan was to occupy the hall for a single night; however, the protesters were prepared for a two to three day demonstration and siege of Sproul Hall. Ultimately, 1500 students occupied Sproul Hall before being removed by police. In all, 773 student activists were arrested for their involvement in this event.
. The committee was formed on May 22, 1965 during a two-day long protest of the Vietnam War on the Berkeley campus. The march occurred on November 21, 1965. After several failed attempts due to blockades by police and the National Guard, the Vietnam day committee was able to organize a march through the streets of Oakland, California. This march was monumental, as over 10,000 people marched showing their protest of the war, thus making it the first large-scale demonstration of negative public opinion of the Vietnam War.
March on Oakland Army Terminal - November, 1965 Berkeley & Oakland, CA
Stop the Draft Week - October, 1967 Oakland, CA
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
in the 1960s. Many of these protests were a small part of the larger Free Speech Movement
Free Speech Movement
The Free Speech Movement was a student protest which took place during the 1964–1965 academic year on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley under the informal leadership of students Mario Savio, Brian Turner, Bettina Aptheker, Steve Weissman, Art Goldberg, Jackie Goldberg, and...
, which had national implications. These riots were headed under the informal leadership of students Mario Savio
Mario Savio
""...But we're a bunch of raw materials that don't mean to be - have any process upon us. Don't mean to be made into any product! Don't mean - Don't mean to end up being bought by some clients of the University, be they the government, be they industry, be they organized labor, be they anyone!...
, Brian Turner
Brian Turner
Brian Turner may refer to:* Brian Turner * Brian Turner and field hockey representative* Brian Turner , drummer for the Seattle-based band Schoolyard Heroes* Brian Turner , British celebrity chef...
, Bettina Apthecker, Steve Weissman
Steve Weissman
Steve Weissman is an American sportscaster who joined ESPN in January 2010. He came to ESPN from Comcast Sportsnet in California, where he served as the network's lead anchor...
, Art Goldberg, Jackie Goldberg
Jackie Goldberg
Jackie Goldberg is an American politician and teacher, and a member of the Democratic Party. She is a former member of the California State Assembly....
, and others.
History
The Berkley riots can be defined by three single, yet interrelated events: the civil rights movementCivil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
, the Free Speech Movement
Free Speech Movement
The Free Speech Movement was a student protest which took place during the 1964–1965 academic year on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley under the informal leadership of students Mario Savio, Brian Turner, Bettina Aptheker, Steve Weissman, Art Goldberg, Jackie Goldberg, and...
, and the Vietnamese war protests in Berkeley, California. The Berkeley riots were not the first demonstrations to be held in, and around the University of California Campus. Since before World War II, students had demonstrated at the university. In the 1930s, the students at Berkeley led massive demonstrations protesting the United States ending its disarmament policy and the approaching war. Throughout the course of World War II, these demonstrations continued with the addition of strikes against fascism; however, they were largely symbolic in form. This can be inferred as the student groups leading these demonstrations did not necessarily seek, nor did they expect their demonstrations to result in change. Nevertheless, this passive approach to demonstration changed in the 1950s at the height of the McCarthy era. From 1949 to 1950, students and teaching assistants at UC Berkeley rallied against the anti-communist loyalty oath that professors were forced to take at the university. Up until the Berkeley riots, these demonstrations were the largest student protests witnessed in the United States. Considering the relatively high presence of demonstrations on the Berkeley campus in its history, and the fact that it had already been the site of the largest student demonstration in the United States, it provided a perfect site to nurture the Berkeley riots.
Antinomianism
Traditionally, antinomianism has been used to refer to the idea that members of a particular religious group are under no obligation to obey the laws of ethicsEthics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
or morality
Morality
Morality is the differentiation among intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good and bad . A moral code is a system of morality and a moral is any one practice or teaching within a moral code...
as presented by religious authorities. However, 20th century scholars began to use the term in a secular context.
During this era, many people were influenced by the “antinomian personality”, a behavioral style which “places characteristic emphasis on intuition, immediacy, self-actualization, transcendence, and similar themes familiar with Hippie conduct.” Those settled into this psychological state embrace the present, while rejecting the past and fearing the future. The antinomian takes on a holistic attitude which results from the “confusion as to whether he is an agent or an agent to be acted upon and serves to compensate for the isolation he suffers.” The antinomian often confronts "forces which make the individual aware of his impotence.” All of these traits are then combined into the stereotypical hippie persona, as the antinomian “treats his mind as if it were completely malleable, devalues reality, rejects reason and understanding, and selects certain experiences to create a fantasied, dogmatic cosmic view of the world.” In doing so, “the individual internalizes an objective world which he perceives to be reliable and consistent.” As the individual now views the world in this fashion, he is easily agitated when the outside world deviates from his ideal and seeks to control its movements. Somehow, this mindset spread across all of America, in an almost fad-like fashion, and many shifted their minds into an antinomian state.
Music
Many of the musicians during this era reflected antinomian ideas in their work, contributing its widespread influence on the young people of their era. This led to a young countercultureCounterculture
Counterculture is a sociological term used to describe the values and norms of behavior of a cultural group, or subculture, that run counter to those of the social mainstream of the day, the cultural equivalent of political opposition. Counterculture can also be described as a group whose behavior...
that embraced antinomianism, influencing their distaste for authority and its ability to set boundaries around them.
Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson AirplaneJefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
was one of the groups advocating antinomian ideals. In their work, they found themselves unable to “accept restrictions imposed by love even though they advocated it”. As they found that love was too fallible to be construed as a source for happiness, they sought to find joy in a “sense of individuality and yet obliterate the pain of aloneness”. In order to achieve this, Jefferson Airplane suggested an antinomian definition of love which put an “emphasis on a present state of fusion, sensation, and escape”. The antinomian feel is perfectly described in the song, "White Rabbit”
White Rabbit (song)
"White Rabbit" is a song from Jefferson Airplane's 1967 album Surrealistic Pillow. It was released as a single and became the band's second top ten success, peaking at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100...
, in which the “reason and teachings of an older generation” were rejected, so that “truth and transcendence” could be found, suggesting drugs as a viable way to do so.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Fluctuating from a time ruled by conventional religion, the 1950s, to an era of doubt and dismissal of those beliefs, Jimi HendrixJimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, besides gaining a reputation as one the greatest musicians in American history, became a kind of high priest for a spiritual journey into new, mystical worlds. Permeating throughout his lyrics was evidence of his own antinomian personality. In the beginning of his first album, Are You Experienced
Are You Experienced
Are You Experienced is the debut album by English/American rock band The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Released in 1967, it was the first LP for Track Records...
, songs such as “Love or Confusion” and “Purple Haze
Purple Haze
"Purple Haze" is a song written in 1966 and recorded in 1967 by The Jimi Hendrix Experience and released as a single in both the United Kingdom and the United States. It appeared on their 1967 album Are You Experienced...
” expressed Hendrix’s inability to understand or receive love, leading him to a resolution that his life was unimportant in the songs “Can You See Me” and “Burning of the Midnight Lamp
Burning of the Midnight Lamp
"Burning of the Midnight Lamp" is a song by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, first released as a mono single b/w "The Stars That Play with Laughing Sam's Dice" in the United Kingdom on August 19, 1967 . It later appeared on the band's final studio album, Electric Ladyland...
”. In line with the antinomian personality, Hendrix came to this deduction as his inability to have power over his love life garnered a feeling of weakness within him. In order to counter this, Hendrix dismisses any thought of close relationships or responsibility, instead turning to purely sexual relationships at the end of the album in the songs “Fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
” and “Foxey Lady”. The path this album takes - from defeat to self-loathing to empowering the self through unorthodox means - perfectly illustrates the psychological path of the antinomian. Hendrix continued along this vein as he ended his second album, “Axis: Bold as Love
Axis: Bold as Love
Axis: Bold as Love is the second studio album by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Under pressure from their record company to follow-up the successful debut of their May 1967 album Are You Experienced, Axis: Bold as Love was released on Track Records in the UK in December 1967...
”, with a song of the same name. This song further promoted his antinomian themes by “rejecting reason and tradition in favor of finding truths through sensory faculties, and building a protective fantasy through manipulation of the mind”. As people were rejecting the former moral system taught to them by their parents—conventional Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
-- they were eager to accept the teachings of this new spiritual guide.
Black Panther Party
The Black Panther PartyBlack Panther Party
The Black Panther Party wasan African-American revolutionary leftist organization. It was active in the United States from 1966 until 1982....
, founded by Bobby Seale
Bobby Seale
Robert George "Bobby" Seale , is an activist. He is known for co-founding the Black Panther Party with Huey Newton.-Early life:...
and Huey P. Newton
Huey P. Newton
Huey Percy Newton was an American political and urban activist who, along with Bobby Seale, co-founded the Black Panther Party for Self Defense.-Early life:...
in late 1966, aimed to improve civil rights of African Americans and to rid police brutality against African Americans, especially in the Oakland area. Through their Ten Point Program, the Black Panthers were able to establish a foundation for their organization as a whole. The Black Panther Party used the technique of social agitation, in the form of vigilantism, their survival programs, and more broadly their resistance to accept and conform to make a name for themselves in the Civil Rights Movement
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
.
Their organization and establishment inspired the likes of the Berkeley students and lead to cohesion between the two groups. The event epitomizing this union was the Sheraton Palace demonstration, in San Francisco, California. The Berkeley Students involved in the various student groups (I.E. SLATE & CORE) and the members of the Black Panther Party united to protest outside the hotel while meetings between the administration board were being conducted inside. The goal of the protest was to advance the job opportunities of African Americans within the hotel through the use of social agitation. The protest proved successful, as the Hotel eventually signed an agreement allowing African Americans opportunities to not only advance but also to be hired into managerial positions; greater opportunity than present previously.
S.N.C.C.
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating CommitteeStudent Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee ' was one of the principal organizations of the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. It emerged from a series of student meetings led by Ella Baker held at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina in April 1960...
(SNCC) was one of the principal organizations of the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. There is substantial evidence that many of the students involved in the Berkeley riots acquired their spirit of protest and learned techniques of civil disobedience through prior involvement in civil rights groups.
Vietnam Day Committee
The Vietnam Day CommitteeVietnam Day Committee
The Vietnam Day Committee was a coalition of left-wing political groups, student groups, labour organizations, and pacifist religions in the United States of America that opposed the Vietnam War...
(VDC) was a coalition of left-wing political groups, student groups, labour organizations, and pacifist religions in the United States of America that opposed the Vietnam War. It was formed in Berkeley, California in the spring of 1965 by activist Jerry Rubin, and was active through the majority of the Vietnam war, organizing several rallies and marches in California as well as coordinating and sponsoring nationwide protests.
SLATE
Stemming from TASC (Towards an Active Student Community), SLATESLATE
SLATE, a pioneer organization of the New Left and precursor of the Free Speech Movement, was a campus political party at the University of California, Berkeley from 1958 to 1966.-Origins:...
was the main “New Left
New Left
The New Left was a term used mainly in the United Kingdom and United States in reference to activists, educators, agitators and others in the 1960s and 1970s who sought to implement a broad range of reforms, in contrast to earlier leftist or Marxist movements that had taken a more vanguardist...
” student group for the Berkeley campus throughout the 1950s and 60’s. Founded in February, 1958, the SLATE Coordinating Committee aimed to promote students running for the Associated Students of University of California (ASUC) who were committed to engage in issue-oriented political education both on and off campus. SLATE was involved with both on-and off-campus issues such as "fair bear" minimum wages for students and affordable housing for students. SLATE led protests against compulsory ROTC, demonstrations against the death penalty, protests against the California House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), and protests against racial discrimination.
CORE
The Congress of Racial EqualityCongress of Racial Equality
The Congress of Racial Equality or CORE was a U.S. civil rights organization that originally played a pivotal role for African-Americans in the Civil Rights Movement...
(CORE) is a U.S. civil rights organization that played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement from its foundation in 1942 to the mid-1960s. Membership in CORE is stated to be open to "anyone who believes that 'all people are created equal' and is willing to work towards the ultimate goal of true equality throughout the world." Since 1968, CORE has been led by Roy Innis
Roy Innis
Roy Emile Alfredo Innis is an African American civil rights activist. He has been National Chairman of the Congress of Racial Equality since his election to the position in 1968....
.
Free Speech Movement
The Free Speech MovementFree Speech Movement
The Free Speech Movement was a student protest which took place during the 1964–1965 academic year on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley under the informal leadership of students Mario Savio, Brian Turner, Bettina Aptheker, Steve Weissman, Art Goldberg, Jackie Goldberg, and...
(FSM) was a student protest which took place during the 1964–1965 academic year on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley under the informal leadership of students Mario Savio, Brian Turner, Bettina Apthecker, Steve Weissman, Art Goldberg, Jackie Goldberg, and others. In protests unprecedented at the time, students insisted that the university administration lift a ban on on-campus political activities and acknowledge the students' right to free speech and academic freedom.
Anti-War Movement
The idea was that if enough Americans believed the war was wrong, they could end it. This was the central driving goal of the movement as a whole. Through marches, protests, and riots the protesters aimed to bring awareness to injustices happening in the war with hopes to end it permanently. Common events were protests around the drafting/induction centers, marches through town centrals, and even riots which usually stemmed from one of the first two. These protests were usually met with police force and in turn sparked a violent riot.Women's Rights
As women became more involved in the inner workings of the Berkeley Riots, they began to move up in the ranks of the positions as well. However, as time progressed they began to face opposition, even from their peers. An organization based upon promoting the advancement of human rights was now rejecting women the opportunity to lead. This created a new branch of advancement for the Women’s Rights Movement.Key events
The Berkeley Riots were ultimately several different student activist protests in and around the University of California Berkeley Campus.Sheraton Palace Demonstration
The Sheraton Palace Demonstration was essentially the first event in the Berkeley Riots. The protests were in response to the racially discriminatory hiring practices used by the hotel. The protesters sought equal hiring practices, and for the hotel to have black individuals in executive positions. Approximately 4000 people were involved with the protest and occupation of the hotel. Though the demonstration was organized by the Ad Hoc Committee to End Discrimination, a high percentage of individuals involved in the protest were members of the student population of the Berkeley campus.
Ban of tables on Bancroft and Telegraph
The administration of UC Berkeley believed that on campus political advocacy was partially to blame for the high percentage of student involvement in the widely media publicized Sheraton Palace demonstration. In response to such student political activity, on September 16, 1964, Dean of Students Katherine Towle released a letter stating that political activity and organization was no longer permitted on the corner of Bancroft and Telegraph. This intersection had served for years as a gathering place for students to hand out pamphlets and organize for political means. In protest of the recent ban on political activity and on-campus political organizations, the student group, CORECongress of Racial Equality
The Congress of Racial Equality or CORE was a U.S. civil rights organization that originally played a pivotal role for African-Americans in the Civil Rights Movement...
, erected a table in front of Sproul Hall.
Arrest of Jack Weinberg
On October 1, 1964, Jack Weinberg, one of the members of CORE, was sitting at the table in front of Sproul Hall and was arrested for violating the University’s new rules regarding student political activism. Before the police car containing Weinberg could flee, 7000 students and demonstrators descended on the car. Throughout the night and into the next day, students gave speeches from atop the car calling for free speech on campus. On the evening of October 2, 1964, approximately twenty-four hours later, representatives of political groups on campus signed an agreement with the administration regarding student free speech, which was dubbed the Pact of October 2.Occupation of Sproul Hall
The student occupation of Sproul Hall on December 2, 1964 was the largest single demonstration organized by the Free Speech MovementFree Speech Movement
The Free Speech Movement was a student protest which took place during the 1964–1965 academic year on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley under the informal leadership of students Mario Savio, Brian Turner, Bettina Aptheker, Steve Weissman, Art Goldberg, Jackie Goldberg, and...
. The demonstration was in response to the proposed expulsion of Jack Weinberg and other members of the Free Speech Movement and other student political groups for their involvement in the recent protests on the Berkeley campus, as well as for the Universities refusal to drop charges against student political group leaders. The initial plan was to occupy the hall for a single night; however, the protesters were prepared for a two to three day demonstration and siege of Sproul Hall. Ultimately, 1500 students occupied Sproul Hall before being removed by police. In all, 773 student activists were arrested for their involvement in this event.
Vietnam Day march
The Vietnam Day march was the ultimate achievement of the Vietnam Day CommitteeVietnam Day Committee
The Vietnam Day Committee was a coalition of left-wing political groups, student groups, labour organizations, and pacifist religions in the United States of America that opposed the Vietnam War...
. The committee was formed on May 22, 1965 during a two-day long protest of the Vietnam War on the Berkeley campus. The march occurred on November 21, 1965. After several failed attempts due to blockades by police and the National Guard, the Vietnam day committee was able to organize a march through the streets of Oakland, California. This march was monumental, as over 10,000 people marched showing their protest of the war, thus making it the first large-scale demonstration of negative public opinion of the Vietnam War.
Other notable events
March down Telegraph Lane - October 15, 1965 Berkeley, CAMarch on Oakland Army Terminal - November, 1965 Berkeley & Oakland, CA
Stop the Draft Week - October, 1967 Oakland, CA