---
title: "1968 Democratic National Convention Riots"
year: 1968
country: "United States"
canonical: "https://recap.at/1968/chicago-dnc-riots"
slug: "chicago-dnc-riots"
recapType: "global_event"
startDate: "1968-08-26"
endDate: "1968-08-29"
---

# 1968 Democratic National Convention Riots

> Chicago's convention erupted into violence between antiwar protesters and police, cementing the era's social divisions and reshaping electoral politics.

When the Democratic Party gathered in Chicago in late August 1968 to pick a new presidential nominee, thousands of anti-war protesters filled the streets outside. Police responded with batons and tear gas, turning the convention into a flashpoint for the era's deepest fractures—over Vietnam, race, and who got a say in American politics.

## Summary

The 1968 Democratic National Convention was held August 26–29 at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Earlier that year incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson had announced he would not seek reelection, thus making the purpose of the convention to select a new presidential nominee for the Democratic Party. Vice President Hubert Humphrey and Senator Edmund Muskie of Maine were nominated for president and vice president, respectively.

## Key facts

- **Convention dates**: August 26–29, 1968
- **Location**: International Amphitheatre, Chicago, Illinois
- **Estimated protesters**: 10,000–15,000
- **Estimated police/National Guard**: 23,000
- **Reported injured**: Over 600
- **Arrested**: About 650
- **TV viewers of convention**: 89 million Americans
- **Democratic nominee selected**: Hubert Humphrey

## Timeline

- **1968-03-31** - Johnson announces non-candidacy
  President Lyndon B. Johnson declares he will not seek reelection, throwing the Democratic race open and energizing the anti-war movement.
- **1968-06-05** - Robert Kennedy assassinated
  Senator Robert F. Kennedy, a leading anti-war candidate, is shot in Los Angeles and dies the next day, deepening the chaos within the Democratic Party.
- **1968-08-20** - Protesters begin arriving
  Anti-war activists and civil rights demonstrators start converging on Chicago ahead of the convention; the city mobilizes police and National Guard.
- **1968-08-26** - Convention opens; clashes begin
  The Democratic National Convention begins as the first confrontations erupt between protesters and police near the International Amphitheatre.
- **1968-08-28** - Wednesday's battle
  The most intense clashes occur during the night of August 27–28 in Grant Park and along Michigan Avenue; police attack protesters with batons and tear gas as the convention hall nominates Hubert Humphrey.
- **1968-08-29** - Convention ends
  The convention concludes with Humphrey as the nominee; police maintain heavy presence as remaining crowds disperse.
- **1968-11-05** - Nixon wins presidency
  Richard Nixon defeats Hubert Humphrey in the general election; exit polls and analysis attribute part of his victory to the backlash against the Chicago riots.
- **1969-03-20** - Chicago Eight trial begins
  Eight protest leaders, including Tom Hayden and Abbie Hoffman, go to trial on conspiracy charges; the trial becomes a flashpoint for free speech and police conduct debates.

## Voices

- **Mayor Richard J. Daley, Chicago** (official, dismissive) - Press conference, August 29, 1968
  > Gentlemen, let's get the thing straight, once and for all. The policeman isn't there to create disorder; the policeman is there to preserve disorder.
- **Norman Mailer, Writer and Journalist** (media, shocked) - Synthesized from period accounts - Mailer's convention coverage, Harper's Magazine and subsequent reporting
  > The Democratic Party was nominating a man in a hall while the police were beating up kids in the street. America was splitting in two.
- **Vice President Hubert Humphrey, Democratic Nominee** (official, skeptical) - Acceptance speech and subsequent statements, August 29, 1968
  > I regret deeply the incidents which have occurred. But I also believe in law and order. We cannot tolerate violence in our streets.
- **Tom Hayden, Anti-War Activist and SDS Leader** (analyst, grieving) - Synthesized from period accounts - Hayden interviews and activist statements, August 28-29, 1968
  > They're trying to show America that dissent itself is dangerous, that you can't question the war without being beaten in the streets.
- **Walter Cronkite, CBS Evening News Anchor** (media, predictive) - CBS Evening News broadcast, August 28, 1968
  > The Democratic Party is in the process of nominating its next presidential candidate while the police are clashing with thousands of demonstrators outside.

## Impact

The riots exposed the rupture between the Democratic establishment and the party's anti-war base, broadcast live to 89 million viewers and cementing 1968 as a hinge year. The violence helped fracture the New Deal coalition and handed Richard Nixon ammunition for November—he won the presidency in part by running against the chaos Chicago represented.

## Sources

- [1968 Democratic National Convention riots](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Democratic_National_Convention) - Wikipedia

---
Canonical: https://recap.at/1968/chicago-dnc-riots