t11wmmmmrnmirn1m11tu11rntm1m111111111m111111111m1111111m111111111m11111m11111111111mJim111111mrnmrnmtm1m1.111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111•11,:11:1111!•1111m THE Witch Hunt MILITANT Published in the Interest of the Working People lnMe,cico Vol. 31 - No. 29 Monday, August 7, 1967 Price 10¢ - See page 6 - 111Jllllllll111111111!11l[llllflllllllll!lllllllllllllll11111lllllllllll11111111111111111111Jllll111111llllllllllllllllllllllllllltl!lllllllllll!lllllll'11Jfllllt!111111111111!11111111llllllllllllll111llllt!lllllllllll1111111lllllllllilll!llllil!llllllllllllllllllllllllllilliilllllillll!IIIIIIIIIIIIIU.: The Detroit Uprising Report from the Ghetto A BlackSocialist's "Self-Service" First-Hand Account WasIntegrated By Derrick Morrison roerrick Morrison is a member of the national committee of the In Moto:rCity Young Socialist Alliance and is By Evelyn Sell active in Detroit's black freedom movement. He is 21 years old.] DETROIT - There was one DETROIT - In the city where feature of the uprising that is they said it could never happen, unique among the various ghetto it finally happened. Detroit, the explosions that have taken place "Model City," the city where over the past several years. All blacks were supposed to have it so eye-witnesses a'nd reporters were good, the city where so much prog­ forced to recognize the integrated ress was made in the last 25 years character of the events. Whites in police-community relations, fi­ joined with blacks in repossessing nally saw, in the words of one of .items from stores, in setting fires the Brothers, "red flames in the and in the guerrilla warfare east and black smoke in the west." against the police. The lack of And in those red flames and black hostility between whites and TO SPEAK IN N.Y. Derrick smoke went the myth of racial Morrison will speak on the De­ blacks on the streets of Detroit "peace and progress" in the Motor during the most explosive days of City. troit Rebellion at the Militant the uprising made it impossible Labor Forum Friday evening for reporters or officials to sim­ Biggest Yet Aug. 11. ply label the explosion a race The "Thing" was on, and when riot. The overwhelming majority it was over, white America had ers, the Detroit upnsmg began of the rebels were black and the experienced the biggest and cost­ around 4: 30 Sunday morning. This basic causes of the uprising lay liest black uprising in its history. was after the cops had raided a in the treatment of blacks in our Photo by Nick Medvecky, Jr. This was the first time in 24 years speakeasy on 12th St. near Clair­ society. However, hundreds of that the federal government had to mont and brutally beat up one of whites were involved in the ac­ GUTTED. Stores of price-gouging ghetto merchants were par­ send in troops to quell a civil dis­ the men there. This was the spark tivities directed against the white ticular target of Detroit ghetto outbreak. turbance. The last time they were that started the explosion in De­ merchants who exploit poor people used was in the 1943 anti-black troit. The ingredients were the in­ in the inner city. This aspect of the long line. Whites and blacks scene. Occasionally one of the riot here. And this is only the human treatment suffered by the Detroit uprising gives Amer­ stood in groups along the street observers would casually stroll prelude to the Black Revolution. blacks at the hands of police, the ica's capitalist rulers a small taste watching fires and smoke. There across the street and join in the As I walked through the area wholesale looting of black pocket­ of events to come. was conversation between the activity. Word was obviously that was in upheaval, I could see books by the devil-like white mer­ Mixed Area races. As I turned onto Grand spreading around the neighbor­ and feel the sense of togetherness chants, and the general concentra­ I live in a racially mixed area River near Trunbull, I saw a hood because streams of people, and the new pride and dignity tion-camp conditions that exist in just north of downtown. This is group of people climbing into white and black, hurried down the that had been acquired during most ghettos across the country. the section of the city that at­ store windows a'nd leaving with streets toward the stores. One those four days, but which had On Sunday, the blacks took over tracts the poor newcomers from arms full of merchandise. I pulled white girl ran down the sidewalk been shaped under 400 years of 12th St., appropriating commodi­ the car over and watched. Whites shouting, "I'm gonna get me white-racist oppression. The feel­ the south, white and black. This ties and burning stores at will. and blacks stood on the side­ some!" I could see a black man ing was especially evident in those is the new Skid Row, created when Heavy black smoke could be seen the old one was urban renewed. walk pointing to what was hap­ inside the store handing articles Afro-Americans of my generation. Here live southern whites, Detroit­ pening, laughing together over the (Continued on Page 4) According to one of the Broth- (Continued on Page 4) born whites, blacks from the south and native Detroiters, American Indians, Chinese, Mexican - and many other ethnic types. Black and The Cops and Courts Were Brutal white live near each other but not really together. Whole blocks are white while other blocks are DETROIT - More than 4,000 American Civil Liberties Union strongest describe how police in­ $5,000 to $10,000 bonds, jammed black. One apartment in a block persons were arrested during the protested "the legal injustices" vaded homes without warrants, into inadequate facilities at the will be all-black, the next two Detroit uprising and charged with and complained that "almost with­ smashing doors and furniture, in­ Juvenile Home and will probably all-white, the next few black and crimes ranging from inciting to out exception" bonds were exces­ juring inhabitants and tearing be detained up to three months so on. Black, white and yellow go to riot and sniping to breaking the sive, attorneys have been unable rooms apart in a search for guns before trial. 9 p.m. curfew and looting. The 12 to talk with their clients and the and ammunition. A number of the same schools, shop in the same Used Pretext stores. There are, of course, racial Recorder's Court judges met on the system for assigning legal counsel black persons, including women antagonisms but there is also the second day of the revolt and to indigent persons was inade­ and children, were shot and some The police used the uprising as shared feelings and attitudes which agreed on a get tough attitude quate. The ACLU has asked that killed by police firing wildly into a pretext to arrest and harrass are created when people face a which violated all legal and con­ "any judge who has engaged in homes with rifles and machine black militants. One of the de­ common enemy. stitutional rights for prisoners. prejudicial conduct on the bench" guns. fendants in the August police­ during the explosion be disqual­ created riot of last year was ar­ On the second day of the upris­ High Bonds Wholesale Te.chnique ing I went to the supermarket ified. rested for looting as he stepped Many black and white pris­ out of his own store. Vaughn's for milk and bread. Whites and Impossible bonds of $10,000 to ACLU Protest blacks stood together patiently in $25,000 were set for even minor oners report that they were ar­ Book Store, a nationalist center charges. Judge Brennan explained Ernest Mazey, executive direc­ rested by a wholesale technique in the city, came under vicious the high bonds: "It should assure tor of the ACLU, and a group of used by the police who grabbed attack by the police. In their keeping these rioters off the 150 protested the gross violations any person in sight. Prisoners brazen attempt to destroy the book Our Schedule streets." Judge Colombo set some of civil liberties ·by the police. were beaten, cursed at and loaded store, Detroit cops once again For the Summer bonds at $100,000 and $200,000. Complaints about police brutality into buses and cells that were demonstrated that they were one He told one defendant, "I can are numerous. Julian Witherspoon, overcrowded and lacked toilet of the major factors which During the months of July set bond up to $10 million if I chairman of the Citizens' Ad­ facilities. Police garages were touched off America's most cost­ and August, THE MILITANT is wish to." He then told another visory Committee for the city's used to hold prisoners who were ly black revolt. At 4 a.m. of the published every other week. Our defendant, "You're nothing but a anti-poverty program, U.S. Rep. forced to rest on floors covered morning of July 27, eyewitnesses next issue will be dated Aug. lousy, thieving looter." The ac­ John Conyers and State Rep. with oil and urine. Food was not saw four carloads of uniformed 21. Regular weekly publication cused man protested, "You will James Del Rio witnessed police served, water was not available white police break windows and will resume with the issue of have to prove that." Colombo punch handcuffed prisoners in for days in many cases. Hundreds show cases. Books were shoved Sept. 4. turned red and stated, "We will." precinct stations. Residents in the of young boys, some as young as onto the floor and then drenched The Detrnit branch of the areas where the uprising was nine years, were placed under (Continued on Page 4) Page Two THE MILITANT Monday, August 7, 1967 A MILITA,NTINTERVIEW Fren,chAntiwar Activists Visit U.S.