Abbie Hoffman
Abbot "Abbie" Hoffman (November 30, 1936, Worcester, Massachusetts - April 12, 1989) was an United States social and political activist, founder of the Youth International Party ("Yippies") and, later, fugitive from justice following a conviction for dealing cocaine. He came to prominence in, and through his approach and appearance is forever associated with, the 1960s.One of his most clever protests was on August 24, 1967, when he led a group opposed to capitalism (and other things, including the Vietnam War) in the gallery of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). They threw fistfuls of dollar bills down to the traders below, who naturally began to scramble frantically to grab money as fast as they could. Of course, Hoffman's protest was pointing out that, metaphorically, that's what NYSE traders were already doing. The NYSE installed barriers in the gallery to prevent this kind of protest from interfering with trading again.
During the Vietnam War, he led an anti-war demonstration in which over 50,000 people attempted to levitate The Pentagon using psychic energy.
Hoffman was arrested for protests during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago (where the Yippie party was running a pig named Pigasus as a candidate), as part of the group that came to be known as the Chicago Seven which also included Jerry Rubin, future senator Tom Hayden, David Dellinger, Rennie Davis, John Froines, Lee Weiner and the eighth member, Black Panther activist Bobby Seale. The trial of the 'Chicago Eight' begun on September 24, 1969 in the courtroom of Judge Julius Hoffman. In the course of the trial, Seale hurled frequent and bitter attacks at Judge Hoffman, calling him a "fascist dog," a "pig," and a "racist," among other things. On October 29, the outraged judge ordered Seale bound and gagged. Finally, on November 5, Judge Hoffman severed Seale from the case and sentenced him to four years in prison for contempt. The Chicago Eight from then on became the Chicago Seven.
Abbie Hoffman is the author of Steal this Book ("It's embarrassing when you try to overthrow the government and you wind up on the Best Seller's List.") Fuck the system, and Revolution for the Hell of It, among other books; his life is documented in the film Steal this Movie.
Hoffman was a 1959 graduate of Brandeis University where he was a leading player on the tennis team.
Hoffman suffered from repeated bouts of clinical depression, and was found dead on April 12th, 1989. His death was recorded as a suicide.
