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I Injured as Hundreds.of Negroes Riot, Tpss Rocl~s at Police, Smash Cars Here Defy Allen, Repulsed by Tear Gas G LCNN I GEOQ.C.l P.. S_T_ . __ . I _ [ _ At least 15 persons - includA< ing four policemen - were injured Tuesday afternoon when hundreds of Negroes rioted near
r
'L OV C ST, the Atlanta Stadium after being
egged on by members of the
a~
Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in the
wake of the police shooting of a
Negro auto theft suspect.
Sixty-three persons were arrested before the riot was
quelled.
SCENE OF TROUBLE
The rioters ignored pleas of
reason from Mayor Ivan Allen
Jr., who braved thrown bricks in
his efforts to restore peace, and
were halted only when city police fired warning shots in the
afr and discharged tear gas
about two hours later.
As police reinforcements arrived in the neighborhood, centered on Capitol Avenue and
01 mond Street SW, the officers
broke out shotguns - which apBy DICK HEBERT
peared to incense the crowd.
A
grim-faced
Mayor Ivan
WHY THE GUNS?
"Why the shotguns? Why the len walked into the middle of
shotguns?" the crowd shouted. jeering, angry throng of N
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es.daY
ternoon a
if
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In Middle
Of Moh--The Mayo
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Staff Photo-Robert Connell
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�tec t you."
• p•.~ ·rn;~IS t1=::;-;==--=~~
--mg over peacea~---y.
Standing shoulcTer to shoulder
in the center of . a chanting
crowd of hundreds, Allen said
through a portable megaphone:
'LET'S GO'
"How about listening to me
a minute now? How about letting me speak? I'm going to
Constitution r epor ters cov- walk up Capitol Avenue to the
ering this story were Dick stadium - and if you want to
Hebert, Keeler McCartney, come, let's go."
Negroes repeatedly asked the
Michael Davis, Bill Shipp and
mayor, "Why are there only
Charles Moore.
white people with shotguns?"
and bottles at the officers, hit- The mayor answered, "In the
ting some.
first place we don't need any
The mob started to break up shotguns, and I'm not here with
only when the officers began anything. Ain't nobody going to
firing shots over their heads get killed and you know that."
ROCK CAR
and firing tear gas.
CARS OVERTURNED
After the crowd refused to folAt the peak of the riot, one low him to the steps of Atlanta
police car and a civilian's car Stadium and refused to hear
were overturned and members him as he stood above them on
l}_f the mob tried to overturn two the roof of a police car, the
paddy wagons. Police and the Negroes rocked the car and al\lehicles of white people were most turned it over.
toned as they drove through
Allen was pulled down but he
othe area , and several wind- landed on his knees and climbed
a shields were shattered.
back onto the car.
·
Shortly before midnight Mayor
At @ne point, a Negro in a red
' Allen surveyed the scene and sh.irit climbed on top of the car
s_aid, " I think the people who ~ith Allen and pointed a finger
live here have gone to their mto Allen's face, spitting out the
Continued on Page 12, Column 1 words, " Black power! ,,
REPEAT CRY
The crowd took up the chant
as its leader brandished his fists
m the air. Allen stood watching
rimly.
A few minutes later the Capttol _Avenue area was tom by
gunfire, exploding tear gas
bombs and flying bricks, sticks
?0 d socia bottles. Allen still was
m the midst of it, caught in a
crossfire.
A'S newsmen and police scampered from the rain of bricks
and bottles, Allen ducked behind
the armored police riot trucks
but minutes later was again approaching Negro groups to disperse them.
LIFE ENDANGERED
Later he scoffed at the idea
that he had placed his life in
danger.
" The only thing you think of
A number of Negro y o u th s
shouted in answer , " Kill the
white bastards, kill the white
cops."
Some of the youths carried
large clubs. others rained rocks
Continued on Page 6, Column 1
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