Guarding Thousands of Detainees: Mayday 1971

Inside the Washington Coliseum, a lone police officer is shown against the backdrop of thousands of arrested protesters on Monday, May 3, 1971.

 

The arena was used as a makeshift jail for thousands arrested during an attempt to shut down the government by blockading streets leading to the federal sector.

 

“At about 11 pm Monday, there were five lawyers for 2,500 prisoners in the coliseum. They let a few more in today, but for a while they were not letting any attorneys in.”—Unidentified Attorney, Washington Star, 5/5/1971.

 

The Mayday Tribe, a loose knit group of individuals, collectives and affinity groups, organized an attempt to shut down the U.S. government in Washington, D.C. in protest of the continued war in Indochina May 3-5, 1971 through the use of non violence civil disobedience.

 

For more information and additional images, see

 

May 1: flic.kr/s/aHsk5GV1JM

May 2: flic.kr/s/aHsk5CKtKq

May 3: flic.kr/s/aHsk5bjYqk

May 4: flic.kr/s/aHsk64GugT

May 5: flic.kr/s/aHsk8e3sU3

 

Photographer is unknown. Courtesy of the D.C. Public Library Washington Star Collection © Washington Post.

 

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