90009_27786_Abbie_Hoffman_1970_01
This 1970 clip shows Abbie Hoffman speaking to people about his activism and the US justice system. The location is Dallas, Texas. Hoffman is accompanied by criminal defense attorney Leonard Weinglass.
Hoffman speaks to a room full of college-aged white people - some are likely members of the Youth International Party a.k.a. the Yippies - about inciting riots. He speaks of the US government as being a repressive state, trying to send innocent people, like Bobby Seale, to the electric chair. Many are seated around a coffee table, taking notes. Some well-dressed people, likely journalists, are standing and writing notes.
Hoffman answers questions about the Chicago Seven trial. He says he is proud of what his group was able to do at the trial and that their work raised awareness among Americans about the injustices frequently happening in US courthouses - injustices involving the picking of juries, court rulings, and the laws themselves.
The final shot is of youth, sitting on a lawn, watching and smiling.