Judge Julius Hoffman: What were you doing until 1960? Abbie: Nothing. I believe it's called an American education.
Catalog
Movie
The Trial of the Chicago 7
What was supposed to be a peaceful protest turned into a violent clash with the police. What followed was one of the most notorious trials in history.
We carried certain ideas across state lines. Not machine guns or drugs or little girls. Ideas. When we crossed from New York to New Jersey to Pennsylvania to Ohio to Illinois, we had certain ideas. And for that, we were gassed, beaten, arrested, and put on trial.
Abbie Hoffman: In 1861, Lincoln said in his inaugural address: 'When the people shall grow weary of their constitutional right to amend their government, they shall exert their revolutionary right to dismember and overthrow that government.' And if Lincoln had given that speech in Lincoln Park last…
Richard Schultz: Do you have contempt for your government? Abbie Hoffman: I think the institutions of our democracy are wonderful things, that right now are populated by some terrible people.
That's right, we're not goin' to jail because of what we did, we're goin' to jail because of who we are!
Tom Hayden: What is that? Rennie Davis: I've been keeping a list every day. Americans who've been killed since the day we were arrested. Tom Hayden: Why? Rennie Davis: With the trial starting, it might get easy to forget who this is about.
Reporter: How much is it worth to you? What's your price? Abbie Hoffman: To call off the revolution? Reporter: What's your price? Abbie Hoffman: My life.
William Kunstler: Of course, because you took that black guy and you made him a sympathetic character. Judge Julius Hoffman: Mr. Kunstler, I have lived a a very long time, sir, and you're the first person ever to suggest that I have discriminated against a black man! Leonard Weinglass: Then let the…
Are we using the trial to defend ourselves against very serious charges that could land us in prison for ten years, or to say a pointless 'fuck you' to the establishment?
Abbie Hoffman: Winning elections, that's the first thing on your wish list? Equality, justice, education, poverty and progress, they're second? Tom Hayden: If you don't win elections, it doesn't matter what's second. And it is astonishing to me that someone still has to explain that to you.
We've dealt with jury tampering, wiretapping, a defendant that was literally gagged, and a judge who's been handing down rulings from the bench that would be considered wrong in Honduras, so I'm a little less interested in the law than I was when this trial began.
Let us make sure that if blood is going to flow, let it flow all over this city.
On top of everything, we're giving them what they want: a stage and an audience.
— Aaron Sorkin, Richard Schultz, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, imdb.com
It's almost hard to believe the seven of us weren't able to end a war.
Give me a moment, would you, friend? I've never been on trial for my thoughts before.
This is a political trial that was already decided for us. Ignoring that reality is just weird to me.
Abbie Hoffman: You think we were responsible? Richard Schultz: I think you got the result you were looking for. Abbie Hoffman: So did Nixon. Richard Schultz: How about that.
— Aaron Sorkin, Richard Schultz, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, imdb.com
Abbie Hoffman: I don't carry money, do you? David Dellinger: I do. I'm a grown man.
— Aaron Sorkin, David Dellinger, John Carroll Lynch, imdb.com
Judge Julius Hoffman: And the record should reflect, that defendant Hoffman and I are not related. Abbie Hoffman: Father, no! Judge Julius Hoffman: Mr. Hoffman, are you familiar with contempt of court? Abbie Hoffman: It's practically a religion for me, sir.
This is the Academy Awards of protests and as far as I'm concerned it's an honor just to be nominated.