UNITED FRONT OF CAIRO Cairo: · 414- 14th St., Cairo, Ill. 618-734-0376 (day) 734-1058 (night) Chicago: 1523 E. 53rd Sto 312-493-1281 Springfield~ 821 s. 2nd St~ 217-525-1876

THE HISTORY OF STATE POLICE ACTIVITY IN CAIRO, ILLINOIS FROM MARCH, 1969

March, April May, 1969

Refused to inv~stigate shooting into Ripley Young's car on March 3le Cooperated with Cairo City police in allowing White Hats to conduct a reign of terror against Black residents beginning March 31st through shooting and arson.

May, June

With the removal of Cairo Chief of Police, Carl Clutts, Superintendent of State Police, James McGuire with other state police restored order to the city. Allegedly, some White Hats were arrested and disarmed. Their names were never published, nor were they brought to trial.

June 15

With the appointment of Cairo Chief of Police, Petersen, State police stated they were helpless to control snipings and arson as they were placed under Petersen 9 s jurisdictione

June, July

Were called on several occasions when prolonged periods of sniping occurred but refused to respond ~

July 22, 23, August 1

Arrested Blacks from Cairo; ministers nuns and many young people from Springfield while these persons were entreating Governor Ogilvie at the State Capitol in Springfield to give justice to the Blacks in Cairo. State police used storm trooper tactics in pushing, shoving and knocking to the concrete marble floors several of the nuns and other young persons.

August

Several times participated in arrest of Blacks picketing for equal ~ppor­tunity. Arrests were made under a bogus city ordinance allowing only six pickets in Cairo at one time. Federal Judge Wise~ Danville, ruled the ordinanc unconstitutional and the arrest illegal and all charges were droppede State police stood by while mobs of whites harrassed picketing blacks, sometimes allowing whites to strike and spit at picketso When asked to either disperse or arrests those doing these illegal acts, refused to do soQ

Stood in front of VFW Club with city police when white vigilantes there commenced firing into Pyramid Courts housing projecte No arrests madee

September 1.3_

Attempted to enforce emergency ordinance enacted by city disallowing assembly of two or more people. Used storm trooper tactics again, rushed Blacks who were attempting to exercise constitutional rights of marching and parading. Restrained by Federal Judge Wise after making several arrests under illegal ordinancee Ordered thereafter by Federal judge to protect all United Front Marchers a

Page two - histor y of stat e police

September 16

Refused t o assist blacks in evacuating Bl~ck female resident of Pyrami d Courts when she was shot by white vigilantes .

October 4

Used " peddlern statute of Illinois State law to disallow marchers from crossing state highway. Arrested Bl acks and participated in beating of Bla ck men, women and children crossing highway . Superintendent James McGuire, Capt . Thompson and 150 state troopers cited f or contempt of court for this incident .

October 7

Attempted show down with Black marchers . Stationed men on top of Berbling Tire Company and Hub Lounge with r iot guns to enforce "peddler" statute e Ot her troopers blocked 12th Street at Washi ngton to prohibit marchers from ~~ossing Washington Street. Over 100 cars of state troopers present in ull riot~gear . When 65 feet f rom confrontation Fede r a l Judge Jurgens lJrohibited troopers from making arrests, ordered trooper s to protect march rs . State troopers left town r efused to protect marcher s .

November, De cember, January

Coopera t ed with City Police in a llowing white vigilantes to harrass Bla ck residents through several incidents of sniping and arson.

January 1-5 3 1970

Shooting i nto Pyramid Cour ts by white vi gi lantes . State police notified . No response . No investigations. No arrests .

J anuary 241 1970

Shooting int o Pyramid Courts from Levee e St ate Police called . Concis e description of two cars with whites given to St ate police by eye-wi nesses to shootings . No investigation. No arrests e

J anuar y 31, 1970

Heavy shooting from levee int o Pyramid Courts . State police asked to investigate . I n stead, they arrest t wo Black students from Malcolm X Colle ge who are visit ing in Cairo. Shoot ing continues after heir arrests.

February 2

State police attempt to get "blankettt search warrant to search all homes in Pyramid Courts for weapons. Thi s occurs after state police claim police car was shot at . No evidence of Bl a ck pa rticipat ion in alledged shoo ing . State Supt. of Public Safety, James McGuire announces thorough investiga ion of shoot ing. Even though Blacks have been shot at~ sometimes hit, fo over 86 nights since March 31 , 1969, this is the fir st investigation . This shows, of course, the poli ce mentality of placing gr eater value on life of two roopers than on the lives of 4500 Blacks in Cair o. Capt . Thompson of state police who pre­viously had referred to Blacks i n Ca iro as DOGS, announces tha Pyramid Court s would be encircled by state pol i ce e Another obvious~ oppressive measures on Blacks.

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·February 3 . . · . ~: ..

Governor Ogilvie promises ~h~t state police will equally enforce the law as state police take over eohtrol of local law enforcement from;· racist Cairo police department. He an~:ro.unces that Cairo police will be extensively trained. Reve Charles Koen rep1i~~: "Take a rotten apple, shine it, polish it, make it look pretty on the ·,~ outside, but when you bite into it, it is still rotten." Hope is expres~'ed . by Front, but Governor is told that be­cause of past. practices of State <police, proof of equal protection will have t ·o come from State police -_~,f.~ action •

. ~ .-·: 'February 4

Shaky hope of February 3, ·fS shattered as State police walk pr·ovocatively into Pyramid Courts. They are asked to leave. After nightfall scores of State police begin to encircle Pyramid Court. State police ears follow, chase, shine spotlights on individuals, homes and cars. Children put tacks and glass on street. State police respond by bringing in dogs. State police point rifles at cars as they drb•e by parked police cars near and around Pyramid Courts. State police cars park around Pyramid Courts, car door open with rifle pointing toward the 800 men, women and children in the housing project. State policemen in uniform and on duty are seen buying vodka at liquor store. Same type of heavey patrolling and inti­midation can not be seen anywhere in white cornm~nity.

February 5

Heavy patrolling and parking around Pyramid c ·ourt continues each night. No visibl'e evidence that , any patrolling takes place in white areas. Close to

·100 state police remain in Cairo. Blacks feel the cold, heavy hand of oppression and intimidation as these heavily armned uproteetors" continue . their nightly harrassing patrpls of the Black Community.