Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman came up with the idea, named their candidate “ Pigasus the Immortal” and pledged, “They nominate a president and he eats the people. Pigasusįed up with Democratic leadership’s penchant for war, yippies protesting at the 1968 Democratic National Convention conceived their own solution: nominate a pig for president. Kennedy’s delegates were divided between McCarthy and dark-horse candidate Senator George McGovern, leaving Humphrey with more than enough votes to clench the Democratic presidential nomination, but also leaving the Democratic party in turmoil just weeks before their national convention. Tragically, the race was turned upside down again when Robert Kennedy was assassinated after giving his victory speech following the California primary on June 4.
Humphrey focused on winning delegates in non-primary states, while Kennedy and McCarthy campaigned hard in primary states. The following month, Vice President Hubert Humphrey-backed by Johnson-announced his candidacy for the nomination, further dividing the Democratic Party.
President Johnson saw the writing on the wall and, on March 31, told a stunned nation during a televised address that he would not seek reelection. in April had left the country reeling, and although segregation had officially ended, racism and poverty continued to make life difficult for many blacks. The months leading up to the infamous 1968 Democratic Convention were turbulent: The brutal assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Though the 1968 protest at the Democratic National Convention were largely against the Vietnam War, the country was undergoing unrest on many fronts. Goal of Protestors at the 1968 Democratic Convention By the time Vice President Herbert Humphrey received the presidential nomination, the strife within the Democratic Party was laid bare and the streets of Chicago had seen riots and bloodshed involving protesters, police and bystanders alike, radically changing America’s political and social landscape. As delegates flowed into the International Amphitheatre to nominate a Democratic Party presidential candidate, tens of thousands of protesters swarmed the streets to rally against the Vietnam War and the political status quo. The Democratic Convention of 1968 was held August 26-29 in Chicago, Illinois. Goal of Protestors at the 1968 Democratic Convention.