The "Times" article in the August 5 Metro section leaves out some information. There were a number of clubs that catered to the new music of the Sixties, with folk music, and "acid" rock along with a few coffeehouses
There were 2 alternative newspapers, the "Fifth Estate" from a coffeehouse of the same name, later the "Free Press" and then an LA edition of the San Francisco "Oracle" . The local Students for a Democratic Society had an anti-draft office on the strip and regularly talked to the kids there about the War in Vietnam and the draft. There was a alternative community being built there. Pandora's Box became a hub for some of these activities. Local big businesses lobbied the Sheriff to push out the kids, who were always peaceful. Also local political powers wanted to break-up this alternative community. First the Sheriffs, harassed the kids. Then marches up and down Sunset were organized to protest this harassment and the closing of Pandora's. Sheriffs then attacked these marches in earnest. This was the first time I saw young girls get hit in the back of the head with billy clubs and young men with long hair were slammed to the payment by their hair. On Nov. 5, we noticed a group of very clean-cut men, start rocking cars in the street. No one knew who they were, Drunken fraternities guys on a hoot, or paid off thugs to give the Sheriff a reason to close the whole area. And thats when the all out attacks occurred, with many young folks injured and arrested. I happen to be standing next to Sonny and Cher at Pandora's Box at the height when the press was trying to interview them. Cher deferred to Sonny who I remember being unusually articulate in defense of the kids. Not sure what happened to him later in life. The "hippies" did still come to the Strip for the next year or so and it continued to a smaller extent to be a hub for this alternative community. John Johnson Change-Links Progressive Newspaper [EMAIL PROTECTED] or [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://change-links.org Subscribe to our list server. Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] (818) 782-1412 Cell (818) 681-7448. === -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.11.4/936 - Release Date: 8/4/2007 2:42 PM --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
