In 1968, 18-year-old Lee Edmundson, a supporter of then-senator Eugene McCarthy, traveled to Chicago to work for the senator during the Democratic National Convention. On the first day of the convention, he ignorantly joined a march in Lincoln Park heading toward downtown. When the march arrived at the Hilton Hotel, he joined a large demonstration protesting the Vietnam War, which quickly got out of control. He was swept up in the pandemonium and excitement without realized the significance of the situation. When he attempted to tie a Viet Cong flag to the head of the General Logan statue, he was beaten severely by the police, and the images and footage of that scene were shown across the country. Millions of Americans observed the brutality of the police force against the anti-war demonstrators as footage was broadcast on television. The Lincoln Park Riots and the violent police crackdown during the 1968 Democratic National Convention shined a spotlight on the growing anti-Vietnam War sentiment, and negatively affected the public perception of Chicago.
