During the 1968 Democratic National Convention, more than 10,000 anti-Vietnam War demonstrators flocked to Chicago, the city where the convention was held. The peaceful demonstrations quickly turned violent and bloodshed. The police arrested Hoffman and eight other leaders on charges of violating the Civil Rights Act of 1968. His public trial began on October 29, 1969.
Seale, the only black of the 8, furious at being falsely accused, loudly interrupts proceedings and denounces Judge Hoffman as a 'racist pig', tied to a chair and gagged for contempt of court, His image of being helpless and being bullied by a judge was photographed by the media and spread widely. In fact, Shearer had just arrived in Chicago on the weekend to give a four-hour speech, and during the trial he kept asking for his trial to be postponed until his lawyer was present or allowed to defend himself in the absence of the lawyer, He was then tried alone.
1968 was the bloodiest year of the Vietnam War, with more than 1,000 American troops killed almost every month that summer. The Democratic National Convention in Chicago provided the perfect stage for the protesting crowd. Tom Hayden and Rennie Davis of Students for the Democratic Society (SDS); Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin of Yippies; David Dellinger of Vietnam War, John Floynes and Lee Weiner; Black Panther Party President Bobby Seale were all charged with violating anti-riot laws.
The 1968 trial was full of government bias and was a federal conspiracy to punish anti-war activists. The judges involved in the trial were not only politically hostile to the accused, but also turned a deaf ear to what was happening in the country at the time. What may well be the funniest trial in American history ended on February 20, 1970, when a predominantly white male jury acquitted seven of them, and Judge Hoffman sentenced them to five years in prison and $5,000 in fines. After the trial, the "Seven Gentlemen" immediately appealed, and the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals overturned all judgments on November 21, 1972, and the "Seven Gentlemen" was acquitted. Charges against Seale, an eighth black man, were also dropped.
There are many similarities between the BLM movement and the events of 1968. Protests gradually turned violent and became a tool for politicians to win votes. "The Trial of the Chicago Seven" constantly reminds the world that in the face of powerful governments, protests are still a means. It's like the crowd outside the courtroom in 1968, shouting constantly, and the whole world watching. In the film, Hoffman says, we weren't arrested, we were just chosen, but the whole trial was full of prejudice, discrimination, and oppression.
A very light and beautiful niche movie ご Public account ご: Cool Heart Commentary
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