Protest the Festival of the Vultures / Demonstrate Against the Billionaires 'Diamond Ball
  • ephemera
  • offset-printed
  • loose leaves
  • black-and-white
  • 35.5 x 21.6 cm.
  • [2] pp.
  • edition size unknown
  • unsigned and unnumbered

Protest the Festival of the Vultures / Demonstrate Against the Billionaires 'Diamond Ball" at the Plaza Hotel / Free the Political Prisoners / End Government Repression / Stop the War Against Vietnam / Bring the Troops Home Now

John Cronick, Dave Axel

Protest the Festival of the Vultures / Demonstrate Against the Billionaires 'Diamond Ball

description

Two-sided flyer calling for a demonstration to protest the Diamond Ball held at the Plaza Hotel in New York on January 24, 1968. The verso includes calls to "Free the Political Prisoners," "End Government Repression," "Stop the War Against Vietnam," and "Bring the Troops Home Now." Sponsored by Youth Against War & Fascism, U.S. Committee to Aid the N.L.F., SNCC (Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee), BAND (Blacks Against Negative Dying), Free School SDS (Students for a Democratic Society), MPI (Movement for the Independence of Puerto Rico), Black Mask, Organization for Revolutionary Action (ORA) and Committee to Aid Activists and it lists John Cronick and Dave Axel as contacts.

Text on the flyer reads, in part, "What is a vulture? A vulture lives off death. It gets its nourishment from dying flesh. … These same celebrating billionaires, who are making millions in profits off the production of war material are also responsible for the persecution of anti-war activists. Because of the anti-war moment threatens their profits, they can not tolerate the continued freedom of such men and women…"

The second page illustrated here is a confidential FBI memo—drafted on January 19, 1968—documenting the surveillance of this and similar protests. The memo describes the organizing groups as "The communist Party and other organizations are continuing their efforts to force the United States to change is present policy towards Vietnam. There is a set forth below a summary of the current and planned future activity through which they hope to accomplice this end." The memo continues to describe some of the protestors as "pro-Chinese communist groups … a militant-Negro organization … "

New York, NY: n.p.,
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$350.00
Condition:  Very Good. Fold marks from having been folded in eight. Light rubbing along fold lines, light edge-wear including a 3 mm. and three 1 mm. tears to flyer edge.
[Object # 36231]