Who were the Chicago Eight?
The Chicago Eight were a group of individuals indicted for conspiracy, inciting to riot, and several other charges related to the riots which took place at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The trial of the Chicago Eight in 1969 attracted national attention, and proved to be the first test of the rioting provisions in the 1968 Civil Rights Act. In addition to the eight protesters brought to trial, eight police officers were also indicted on charges pertaining to the riots. The 1968 Democratic National Convention was marked by violent protests which devolved into rioting. Police and demonstrators alike participated in the rioting, making the city a very dangerous place to be. In the wake of the riots, a grand jury was convened to determine who was responsible, and the jury moved to indict the Chicago Eight and the eight policemen, formally bringing them into court in March 1969, with the trial starting in September of that same year. The eight men involved in the trial
The Chicago Eight were a group of individuals indicted for conspiracy, inciting to riot, and several other charges related to the riots which took place at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The trial of the Chicago Eight in 1969 attracted national attention, and proved to be the first test of the rioting provisions in the 1968 Civil Rights Act. In addition to the eight protesters brought to trial, eight police officers were also indicted on charges pertaining to the riots. The 1968 Democratic National Convention was marked by violent protests which devolved into rioting. Police and demonstrators alike participated in the rioting, making the city a very dangerous place to be. In the wake of the riots, a grand jury was convened to determine who was responsible, and the jury moved to indict the Chicago Eight and the eight policemen, formally bringing them into court in March 1969, with the trial starting in September of that same year.
