Box 18, Folder 30, Document 4

Box 18, Folder 30, Document 4

STREET sTRIFE—An Atlanta policeman
wearing g gasmask earries two children to
safety [fam a Negro home filled with tear-
gas, at left, while Mayértem =~ ~“tands



ATLANTA—From Al

Police Rout
1000 Rioters
In Atlanta

onto the vehicle, apparently
unhurt.

The rioters calmed down
momentarily, but the disturb-
anée started to spread again
when a Negro man leaped
atop another car and joined
‘Alled in his vlea for peace.
About 15 Negroes pulled the
Negro down and heat him.

Tt was then that Allen or-
dered the crowd dispersed,

“Tear all the houses down if
heressary,” Said the usually
mild-spoken Mayor. “I want
the people dispersed. Tear the
place up."

Allen gave the order calmly
and without show of anger.

Oné police car was over:
turned at the height of the
melee, ead two others were
badly damaged. The rioters
also trled, Bat failed, to over- uated Press Interaablaal
turn to police paddy wagons — gavEp—4 weeping mother holds her Shild after police

The Negro car theft suspect, rescued five youngsters from a teatgas-filled home

whose arrest touched off the in Atlanta.
istinneRhieae 5 qs during a brief outbreak oe aienee 4

Harold Prather, 25. Polie }
said they opened fire when)readers and has worked to,and sevenvother Negro min:
Prather fled ard Jgnered a| 514. down racial ineidents. |isters apptouched Allen after
warning to halt, Atlanta's schools were to-|the riot and promised to col-

Although hit twice, Prather) * "{ os id di
made it to his home and when|tally integrated. Business)lect grievances and discuss)
police attempted to arrest him houses have many Negro em-/them with Allen. |
they found the way blocked bY loves. City facilities are to.| The Rev. Martin Luther
a large group of Negroes, The|:aity integrated. The city ha King Sr, father of the na
Negroes dispersed when rein-| oot eight Negroes to the State onaily = known integration
forcements were summoned. | eciclature. Honally

Later. Stokely Carmichael.) “Only this morning, the pro-Jeader wl0 makes his home|
chairman of SNCC, announced] pressive Mayor had welcomed |in Atlant® urged Negroes to|
that there would be ademon-| Carmichael and about 20 of|stay in thelr homes.
stration In the Negro district’ his supporters into his office) “Nothin€ can be gained hy
fo protest the arrest of for a conference, They came) this," he Warned. “What do}
Prather. to protest alleged police bru-|they watl? The Mayor came

The crowd started gather. tallity to SNCC members in|down. He tried to speak to
ing when SNCC sound truck’ the city jail them, The? wouldn't listen...
entered thearea, Officers took The Rev, W. Clyde Willlams| What do they want?
the two men manning fhe -_—
truck into custody and charged
them with operating the truck
without a permit. The crowd
tipped over the police cruiser
and tried fo overturn the
wagon.

Up until this point, only 59
Negro officers had been on
the seene, but 54 more police.
Men Were summoned, inelud-
ing B® Negro and 20 white
officers, |

The presence of white offi-|
cers incensed the youths, who)
began shouting, “Kill the|
white bastards, kil! the white





oF
e



tops.”

Tt was at tiis point. that
Mayor Allen arrived and ‘tric |
Wo reason’ with the mob, but!
he was shouted down.

Following the riot, Allen
held a street corner news con-
ference and vowed that police |
wal peace Asked |
Why he fo The sete per!
Sonally, the Mayor replied:

‘Tam someerned with the
problems of Alanta Any
ieader has access to the Mayor
and | Would welcome an op-
portunity to talk.”

Allen can take much of ihe
Credit for Ailanta’s previous
racial peace, and has tad al.
most solid Negro support at
the poli, He was one of the
fow Southemers to testify for
the 1864 civil rights bill, He
further integrated the Atlants
Bolice force He Nos held per.
sono! conttrences with Negro



Aswclated Pree

on the roof of a police car at right as he
attempts to disperse the angry crowd that
gathered to protest a policeman's shooting
of a suspect in the theft of an auto,