Nutty But Revealing Yippie Movie Gives A Sense Of 1969. What Were They Thinking?

The Yippies, officially known as the Youth International Party, were a radical countercultural group that emerged in the late 1960s in the United States. They blended elements of the New Left with the whimsical and theatrical aspects of the hippie movement. Unlike more traditional political groups the Yippies were known for their theatrical street actions and stunts intended to draw media attention and illustrate their contempt for the mainstream political process and capitalist values.

The Yippies were founded by Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Paul Krassner, and several other activists. They viewed traditional forms of protest as insufficient for bringing about radical change and believed in the power of symbolism, theater, and satire to draw attention to their causes. Their causes were wide-ranging and included opposition to the Vietnam War, advocacy for free speech and civil rights, the promotion of a countercultural lifestyle, and resistance to the consumer culture.

The Yippies famously threw dollar bills onto the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), leading to the temporary shutdown of trading as brokers scrambled to pick up the money. This was meant to highlight the greed and corruption of the financial system.

The Yippies are perhaps best known for their role in the protests surrounding the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. They applied for a permit to hold a "Festival of Life" in the city to counter the convention's "Festival of Death". When denied, the Yippies and other protesters clashed with police in what became known as the Chicago Police Riot. During these events, they also ran a pig (named Pigasus the Immortal) for president to mock the political process.

Following the convention, eight individuals, including Yippie co-founders Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin, were charged with conspiracy to incite a riot. This trial became a cause célèbre, drawing national attention. The defendants used the courtroom as a theater, attempting to turn the trial into a critique of the American political and judicial system. Eventually, all of the convictions in this trial were either overturned or the charges were dropped.

The Yippies employed a unique mix of humor, absurdity, and shock value in their actions, intending not just to protest, but to create an experience or spectacle. They believed that by creating memorable and media-friendly events, they could better communicate their messages to the broader public. Their theatrical tactics, combined with a genuine commitment to challenging the political establishment, ensured their central role in these pivotal events. The events in Chicago and their aftermath highlighted deep divisions in American society over the Vietnam War and civil rights, among other issues.

In the movie, the Yippies show rioting that took place at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The riots began on the night of June 17, 1969, and lasted for two nights. Tensions had been simmering over issues like the Vietnam War, racial injustice, and broader countercultural sentiments. The immediate trigger was a police crackdown on loitering on South University Avenue, which was a popular hangout spot for students and young people.

After a small incident of police confronting youths on the street, the situation quickly escalated. Over the next two nights, thousands of young people took to the streets, clashing with police. The police responded with tear gas, and there were multiple arrests. The events on South University Avenue resulted in significant property damage and strained town-gown relations (i.e., the relationship between the city and the university community). The city subsequently took measures to improve its approach to handling protests and crowd control.

The South University Riot is often seen in the context of the broader social and political upheavals of the 1960s. Like many similar incidents across the country, it reflected deep-seated frustrations among young people about the direction of U.S. society and politics.

By the early 1970s, the influence of the Yippie movement began to wane. Figures like Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin eventually took different paths, with Rubin eventually becoming a businessman and Hoffman continuing his activist work until his death in 1989.

To those curious, I was one of the cameramen who shot some of the footage used in this film.

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David Hoffman Filmmaker