trial of the chicago 7

oh my

[i saw it here: https://www.netflix.com/title/81043755]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trial_of_the_Chicago_7

The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a 2020 American historical legal drama film written and directed by Aaron Sorkin. The film follows the Chicago Seven, a group of anti-Vietnam War protesters charged with conspiracy and crossing state lines with the intention of inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Originally planned for a theatrical release by Paramount Pictures, the distribution rights to the film were sold to Netflix due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The film shows how a political decision by Richard Nixon’s new administration is made to stage a show trial to intimidate the hippie, peace activist and black power movements in their opposition to the Vietnam War.

notes/quotes on (2 hr) film:

raising monthly draft call from 17 to 35 000.. johnson.. king shot..
1\ rennie davis 2\ tom hayden leaders of the students for a democratic society (sds) – t: ‘not enough diff between nixon and humphrey to make a diff.. so going to chicago’
3\ jerry rubin 4\ abbie hoffman leaders of the youth international party (yippies) a: going in peace but if police violent ..
5\ david dellinger leader of the mobilization to end the war in vietnam (the mobe) d: always nonviolence
8\ bobby seale national chairman of the black panther party b: listed all the people that are dead.. (king, malcolm et al) who tried it peacefully..

black panther (doc) – fred hampton

6\ John Froines 7\ Lee Weiner (got last 2 names from wikipedia)

Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, and Lee Weiner— [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Seven]

5000 troupes of international national guard .. sent to chicago.. and 10 000 police officers
david: not going to storm convention center.. but are going to storm hearts and minds of people..
7 min – ‘democratic convention is about to begin in a police state.. there just doesn’t seem to be any other way to say it’
film starts 5 months after convention
fed prosecutors: thomas foran and richard schultz
10 min – asst to attorney general greats them.. bad mouths ramsey – ‘he was a prick.. resigned 1 hr before my confirmation hearing.. unpatriotic.. impolite.. i want to bring back manners.. the us i grew up in’
richard: reads list.. then says.. and bobby seale?
asst to attorney general – showing vengence.. ‘put ferries behind bars’
richard: on how claims against the 8 aren’t indictable.. bigger question.. who started the riots.. asst att gen: ‘police don’t start riots’
defense counsel: william kunstler and leonard weinglass (reporter on rumors that tom thinking william not serious enough so asked for leonard)
15 min – fred
names show up for lee weiner and john froines
tom asking rennie about list ‘been keeping a list every day since the day we were arrested.. trial starting.. it might get easy to forget who this is about’
bobby fred and william on bobby’s attorney not being there.. william volunteering.. fred saying stay out of it
19 min – judge julius hoffman presiding
us vs chicago 7 and bobby
hoffman to hoffman – are you familiar w contempt of court abbie: it’s practically a religion for me..
hoffman bantering w bobby about his lawyer not being there
thomas (prosecuter) saying how outbursts were going to be a tactic of the 7/8.. when up to that point it’s all been the judge
bobby: ‘not even part of the 7.. i was thrown in to make the group look more dangerous’ .. gets his first contempt of court
tom: are we using this trial to defend ourselves against very serious charges that could land us in prison for 10 yrs.. or are we using it to say pointless f you to the establishment
jerry: f you – if we leave here w/o saying anything about why we came in the first place.. it will be heartbreaking
tom: if jury finds us guilty.. not going to be leaving at all.. and the only thing we need to say is why we came is it wasn’t to incite violence
derringer: i’m w jerry.. trial shouldn’t be about us
tom: i would love it if it wasn’t about us.. but it definitely is
lee: does anyone think our judge might be crazy
tom: judge isn’t a problem..
abbie: you got a haircut for the judge..
tom: it took you two 5 min to make us look like exactly what schulz is trying to make us look like
abbie: when we walked in this am.. they were chanting.. the whole world is watching.. we’re on.. this is what real revolution looks like.. cultural revolution
29 min – tom: why did you come to the convention
abbie: to end the war
tom: before you tether yourself to this man.. just know .. the very last thing he wants is for the war to end.. i don’t have time for cultural revolution .. it distracts from actual revolution
abbie: but you got time for a haircut
fred comes in: wth.. you stood up for bobby.. bobby’s life is at stake and you guys are playing to the crowd
abbie: this is a political trial.. ignoring that is just weird to me
william: there are civil trials and criminal trials.. there’s no such thing as a political trial
abbie: ok
everyone leaves.. weinglass to tom – abbie is smarter than you think he is

and he’s always so calm about slaps in the face from everyone

first witness.. one that wouldn’t give them a permit
tom: we’re not threatening.. we’re cautioning.. 5 visits/requests
38 min – (when asked why bobby won’t let anyone rep him) jerry: you’ve posed that question in the form of a lie
39 min – (when asked what’s your price to call off the revolution – on referring to the comment on the 100 000 to call it off) abbie: my life
41 min – on getting rid of the only jurors that seemed to be for the 7.. accusing the black panthers of threatening them w letters
william: black panthers don’t write letters.. replacements have connections to prosecution.. then later finds out ‘he’s sequestering the jury’
abbie: no such thing as a political trial.. good to know
48 min – tom: i want to get the word out that we’re protesting the war and not the cops
59 min – on the police taking off their badges and starting the riot.. tear gas and riot clubs..horrendous scene.. back and forth to real footage
abbie: you know when shit happens.. when you don’t give protestors a place to go
1:03 – police arrest (some of) the 7 – at least jerry
1:08 – fred killed at black panther office
1:10 – bobby: to tom – your (all 7 of you) is a f you to your father.. can you see how that is diff than a rope on a tree.. fred was executed.. shot in shoulder first.. so couldn’t have shot back.. then shot in head
1:12 – next day in court.. .
bobby: it would be impossible for me to care any less for what you’re tired of..
bobby: it was premeditated murder.. fh was assassinated last night..
judge: i strongly caution you.. marshals take mr seale in other room and deal w him as he should be dealt with – judge has bobby gagged.. beaten.. chained..
rennie: passes note to 7 – don’t stand
1:15 – bobbie returns.. crowd gasping
judge: let record show i tried fairly, impartially to get defendant to sit on his own.. asked him again.. if had his assurance he would not do anything to disrupt trial if i ungag you.. bobby shakes head no
schultz can’t call next witness.. (shook).. asks to approach the bench.. your honor our defendant is gagged/bound in an american courtroom
other prosecutor: he brought it on himself
william: are you insane
judge: mr counselor
schultz asks bobby’s case declared a mistrial
judge: you want me to give him a mistrial
william: yes.. because you took the black guy and made hi an ie
judge: mr counselor.. i have lived a very long time .. and you’re the first ever to suggest i have discriminated against a black man
weinglass: then let the record show that i am the 2nd
judge – declares mistrial.. then tells bobby his contempt charges and charge in another state and says.. you are not home free.. and i doubt you ever will be
all rise… tom rises.. rest don’t.. tom sits..
1:20 – rennie.. so we have this list.. i was thinking monday am we could read it.. (tom: as a way of saying what rennie) as a way of saying.. whatever we’re facing is peanuts ..
tom: this is a trial.. we were arrested..
abbie: (political trial) no we weren’t arrested .. we were chosen
1:21 – rennie.. you know what would be ironic.. if bill mitchell did this just to get back at ramsey clark.. out going att general doing his resignation hour before replacement
william: need to get a hold of ramsey clark
abbie: and william counselor just showed up
secret service beat them there.. ramsey invited them.. didn’t want appearance of impropriety..
ramsey: what took you so long to realize i’m your star witness..
tom: sir you have to find some courage now
ramsey: that’s what those 2 gentlemen came to ell me.. so i wanted them in the room when i said.. when do you want me in court.. (it’s against the law) .. so arrest me or shut the f up.. to tom – how’s that..
judge allows it all w/o jury (then strikes it after ramsey says they have proof – fed investigation and counter inel – that police started riots)
1:31 – william is saying that ramsey is just doing it to get back at new att gen
william: you’re not going to let the jury hear his testimony.. william question ramsey on the political ness of this trial.. w nixon et al.. ramsey steps down and says to william ‘just get to work on the appeal
william asked if they could at least let jury know att gen was denied testimony..
derringer: you’re a thug – (to judge) – if we’re guilty.. why not give us a trial.. i have sat here for 6 mos and watched you.. (then taken out and locked up.. because he hit a man.. apologized to the man on the way out.. and to his fam)

i don’t know why i’m writing all this.. just .. have to tell someone.. i don’t know

1:36 – tom: maybe he just wants a witness that dress like a man
abbie to tom: what did you mean when you said the last thing i wanted was to end the war
tom: i meant you were making the most of your close up.. no more war.. no more abbie hoffman
abbie: what’s your problem w me hayden
tom: my problem is that for the next 50 yrs when people think of progressive politics.. they’re going to think of you.. and your idiot followers passing out daisies to soldiers and trying to levitate the pentagon.. they’re not going to think equality or justice.. of ed or poverty or progress.. they’re going to think of a bunch of stoned.. lost.. disrespectful.. foul mouthed.. lawless losers.. and so.. we’ll lose elections
abbie: all because of me.. (tom – yeah) .. and winning elections.. that’s the first thing on your wish list.. equality, justice, ed, poverty, progress.. that’s the second
tom: if you don’t win elections.. it doesn’t matter what’s second.. and it is astonishing to me that someone still has to explain that to you

wtf.. huge

abbie: we don’t have any money.. so a stage and cameras and mics come and it’s astonishing that someone still has to explain that to you
tom: you’re trading a cow for magic beans
abbie: do you think things would be diff in chicago if kennedy was there
tom: yes i do
1:39 – abbie – i think so too.. that’s why i was just wondering.. weren’t you a little bit happy when the bullet ripped thru his head.. no chicago.. no tom hayden..
tom: pal bearers you a hole
abbie: that’s right.. we’re not going to jail for what we did.. but because of who we are.. think of that the next time you try to write off cultural revolution..
william brings in tape of tom starting the riot
tom: they had just cracked rennie’s head open
william: ‘if blood is gonna flow.. let it flow all over the city’.. everybody kept their cool.. you’re the one who lost it
1:42 – tom: it was 6 armed officers against rennie and a pocket protector so i can understand his response..
william: how about your response
dellinger: tell them to stay calm
tom: on mic – rennie just beaten by police.. if blood is going to flow.. let it flow all over the city.. we’re going to the convention.. get on the streets
another horrendous scene.. flashing back and forth
found only way to convention.. bar.. haymarket tavern.. for chicago’s political class and their hookers.. packed to watch humphrey getting the nomination a mile away.. picture window.. police push (some of 7 thru window)
inside bar like 60s never happened.. outside showing what happened in 60s
cops take off badges.. 60s outside bar.. 50s inside bar..
then unnecessary metaphor..
tom: they took their badges off.. we were trying to protest peacefully at the f in convention..
william: who started the riot tom:
tom: our .. our blood..
abbie: our blood.. if our blood is going to flow.. you meant to say if our blood is going to flow then ..everyone should see it.. (not that everyone’s blood in the city is going to flow like it was interp’d) he does this.. it’s a pattern.. he implies possessive pronouns..
tom: you read the port huron statement (manifesto of sds)
abbie: i’ve read everything you’ve published
tom: i didn’t know that
abbie: you’re a talented guy.. except for the possessive pronouns and the vague noun modifiers..
tom: put abbie on the stand instead
1:49 – abbie on stand.. (date of birth) psychological 1960. (what were you doing before that ) nothing.. technically called an america ed
william: abbie.. do you know why you’re on trial here
abbie: we carried certain ideas across state lines.. not machine guns or drugs or little girls.. ideas.. we had certain ideas.. and for that.. we were gassed/beaten/arrested/put-on-trial
william: ok
abbie: in 1861 lincoln said in his inaugural address.. when the people shall grow weary of their constitutional right to amend their govt.. they shall exert their revolutionary right to dismember/overthrow that govt.. and if lincoln had given that speech in lincoln park last summer.. he’d be put on trial w the rest of us
william: so how do you overthrow/dismember your govt peacefully
abbie: in this country.. we do it every 4 yrs

too bad that’s not working – voting et al.. huge red flags we’re doing it/life wrong

decision making is unmooring us law et al

1:51 – schulz: chuckles.. so chicago was just a massive voter registration drive
abbie: yeah
schulz: did you hear the tape.. of hayden giving instruction to his people to take to the streets
abbie: hayden’s not a mafia god and neither am i
schulz: did you hear him say if blood is gonna flow let it flow all over the city
abbie: the beginning of that sentence was supposed to be.. yes.. yes i did
schulz: what did you think of that
abbie: i think tom hayden is a badass of an american patriot
schulz: i didn’t ask about the man but about his instruction to the crowd
abbie: i’ve also heard tom say.. let’s end the war.. but nobody stopped shooting.. you can do anything to anything by taking it out of context mr schulz
s: if blood is gonna flow.. how do you take that out of context
a: quotes mt 10:35 – father against daughter et al.. sure sounds like he’s telling kids to kill their parents until you read mt 10:34 and 10:36.. he’d just seen his best friend get hit in the head w a night stick.. the police mr schulz.. who’s people are they
s: do you have contempt for your govt
a: i think the institutions of our democracy are wonderful things that right now are populated by terrible people

yeah .. gotta go deeper.. democracy is killing us.. keeping us from us

s: please answer the question
a: i’ll tell you mr s.. it’s nothing compared to the contempt my govt has for me
s: when you came to the convention.. were you hoping for a confrontation w the police
silence
s: i’m concerned you have to think about it
a: give me a moment would you friend.. i’ve never been on trial for my thoughts before
1:55 – final day – judge: law requires defendant to make statement.. group has chosen hayden
judge: my hayden.. in spite your actions at convention.. you are the one defendant who has shown during this trial.. respect for this court/country.. and remorse for those actions.. i truly believe that one day you will be a very productive part of our system.. i’d like you to make your statement brief and w/o political content of any kind.. if you make it brief, respectful, remorseful and to the point.. i will look favorably on that when administering my sentence.. do you understand what i just said mr hayden
tom: yes.. you’ll look favorably on sentencing if i make my statement respectful/remorseful.. i’m sorry your honor.. what was the 3rd one
judge: brief
tom: brief.. so if i do these things my govt will look favorably on me
judge: you understand
tom: yes
judge: please begin
tom: k.. your honor.. since this trial began 4752 us troupes have been killed in vietnam.. and the following are their names
7 stands.. judge starts yelling – ‘there will be order’.. everyone stands.. except other prosecutor.. he leaves..
1:59 – abbie, tom, david, jerry and rennie found guilty of incitement to riot and sentenced to 5 yrs in fed prison.. verdict reversed by 7th circuit court of appeals and new trial ordered.. us attorney declined to re try the case

this isn’t an ie of the process working (remember all the dead people happening throughout.. et al)

william charged w 24 counts of contempt of court
in bi annual survey.. 78% of chicago trial lawyers gave julius hoffman a rating of ‘unqualified’
bobby found to have been falsely accused of murder of police officer in connecticut
jerry became stockbroker.. in 1994 he was hit by a car and killed while jaywalking near ucla campus
abbie wrote best selling book, though the number of copies in circulation is unknown as the title is ‘steal this book’.. he killed himself in 1989

oh.. suicide ness

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbie_Hoffman