Chicago 7 Leaders Speak On Campus
1971 April
On April 20th, 1971 Abbie Hoffman gave a press conference in Lecture Center and spoke at a rally in the Gym that the ASP estimated drew 2,500 attendees. On April 30th, Jerry Rubin also spoke to an "overflowing crowd" in the Campus Center. Dave Dellinger was also schedule to speak, but was unable to attend. Hoffman, Rubin and Dellinger had been prosecuted by the Nixon administration for the violence in Chicago during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The Hoffman and Rubin were encouraging students to attend the Celebration of Life and May Action Rally on May 3rd ,1971 in Washington, D.C. Students had recently held demonstrations against the First Trust of Albany Bank for their connection with General Dynamics and other defense contractors, and also opposed their loans in support of the South Mall urban renewal project.