1968 Chicago riots

The 1968 Chicago riots, in the United States, were sparked in part by the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968. Rioting and looting followed, with people flooding out onto the streets of major cities, primarily in black urban areas. Over 100 major U.S. cities suffered such disturbances, resulting in roughly $50 million in damage.

King had led a march for open housing in Chicago; whites responded violently. He said, "I've been in many demonstrations all across the South, but I can say that I have never seen, even in Mississippi and Alabama, mobs as hostile and as hate-filled as I'm seeing in Chicago." The riots after his death were particularly aggressive by both rioters and police, resulting in severe damage. Of the 39 people who died in the nationwide disturbances, 34 were black.

Chicago, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. underwent some of the worst riots following King's assassination. In Chicago itself, more than 48 hours of rioting left 11 Chicago citizens dead, 48 wounded by police gunfire, 90 policemen injured, and 2,150 people arrested. Three miles of East Garfield Park and West Garfield Park on West Madison Street were left in a state of rubble.

Later the same year, around the Democratic National Convention, Chicago would once again be a place for political protest and clashes with the authorities.