The Democratic National Convention
was held in Chicago in August 1968,
but with the nation divided by the Vietnam War
and the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert F. Kennedy
fueling animosity, the city became a battleground for antiwar protests, which Americans witnessed on national television. When confrontations between protesters
and police turned violent,
Mayor Richard J. Daley's blooper comment
reflected the opinion
of many people:
"The police are not here to create disorder, they're here to preserve disorder."
