January 4, 1970: 52 years ago, Jan 4 1969, 60,000 workers organized by the Oil, Chemical [...]

52 years ago, Jan 4 1969, 60,000 workers organized by the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union (OCAW) went on strike, including 3700 Bay Area workers at oil refineries in Richmond, Martinez, Avon, and Oleum, a chemical plant in Pittsburg, and Shell facilities in Emeryville Local authorities cracked down hard …

February 16, 1970: 54 years ago, February 16 1970, a pipe bomb exploded at the San Francisco [...]

54 years ago, February 16 1970, a pipe bomb exploded at the San Francisco Police Dept’s Park Station, killing Sergeant Brian McDonnell. No group claimed responsibility. While authorities have blamed the Weather Underground and the Black Liberation Army, the case remains unsolved That same week, a bomb at a police …

February 19, 1970: 54 years ago, Feb 19 1970, a bomb reportedly exploded in Clifford [...]

54 years ago, Feb 19 1970, a bomb reportedly exploded in Clifford Harbaugh’s backyard in Dublin. Harbaugh had been coordinating a fundraising effort for the 12 Alameda County Sheriff’s deputies indicted on civil rights charges for brutality during the People’s Park movement Harbaugh claimed an anonymous caller had told him, …

February 21, 1970: 54 years ago, Feb 21 1970, the Youth International Party (White Panther [...]

54 years ago, Feb 21 1970, the Youth International Party (White Panther Tribe of Palo Alto), the Palo Alto section of both the Yippies and the White Panther Party, briefly occupied the Midpeninsula Free University, declaring it the “People’s Office” Led by 19-year-old Minister of Information Tim Gadus, the group …

March 9, 1970: 51 years ago, Mar 9 1970, a “bespectacled, cowboy-hatted” man named Erik [...]

51 years ago, Mar 9 1970, a “bespectacled, cowboy-hatted” man named Erik Weil was arrested at a rally to free Bobby Seale in front of the San Francisco Hall of Justice. He shouted “Shut the bastards up!” as he lunged at the crowd of demonstrators, wielding a carpet knife Weil, …