Civil Rights Demonstrators Routed in Montgomery

Mar. 16, 1965 - About 15 state and county policemen, some flailing with nightsticks and ropes, rode horses into 600 civil rights demonstrators in Montgomery, Ala., today and sent the demonstrators screaming down a residential street. Eight persons were injured.

The police tactics in this Alabama capital so embarrassed local law-enforcement officials that they apologized publicly, attributing the clash to a “mixup.”

“We are sorry there was a mixup and a misunderstanding of orders, and we are sorry that anyone got hurt.” David Crozland, Circuit Solicitor for Montgomery County, said after the street clashes. 

FBI agents on the scene today in Montgomery began an immediate investigation of the incident, and Assistant Police Chief D.H. Lackey of Montgomery said, “I don’t feel like it was necessary.”

He added: “All our orders were to hold them and contain them [the demonstrators]. How they got the word to disperse this crowd, I don’t know.”

The singing demonstrators, who had a permit for their march, were headed for the Capitol when Sheriff Mac Sim Butler, riding a horse and wearing a Western style hat, led his mounted possemen against them. The demonstrators refused to disperse after police halted their march.

The horsemen first routed a smaller group of demonstrators led by James Forman of Atlanta, executive director of SNCC.

Forman clung to a telephone pole. A posseman swung his club, and Forman ducked. Forman then fled.

A Japanese college student backed against a brick wall of a house. A posseman clubbed him, and the youth fell, bleeding from the head.

Then the horsemen rode slowly into the standing crowd of 600 demonstrators across the street. The possemen yelled: “Get out of here!”

Most of the crowd stood their ground.

The possemen started swinging their weapons. Demonstrators fell; they began to run.

One of the horsemen methodically flailed demonstrators with a rope.

“Watch that whip!” shouted one demonstrator.

Another youth fell. Blood poured from a wound. Two men picked up the youth, who sagged limply. 

Two persons were taken away in ambulances. One youth picked up a Negro girl in his arms and pleaded: “Can we get a doctor, please? Somebody is ill.”

Alabama Governor George Wallace had no comment on the horsemen’s actions.

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