57-years ago people rioted against Vietnam war. I was on the inside.

SAN FRANCISCO – BACK TO THE FUTURE EDITION- JANUARY 11, 1968

Lee Heidhues – 1.11.2025

Peace demonstrators fill Fulton Street in San Francisco April 15, 1967 during their five-mile march through the city. The march winds up at Kezar Stadium where a peace rally will be held. San Francisco City Hall is in the background. (AP Photo/Robert W. Klein) Blogger Lee was there.

Liz reminded me this morning that it was 57 years ago today that while I inexplicably was dining with Vietnam war apologist Secretary of State Dean Rusk people rioted outside the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco.

Going Back – That’s how I feel composing this edition of Lee’s Perspective

I was a student journalist at San Francisco State University and went to the protest expecting to be amongst the protesters. Things worked out in a completely different way as my journal entry for the day memorialized.

JANUARY 11, 1968 – Journal entry – Fairmont Hotel SAN FRANCISCO

Well, of all the things to happen this is the day that it all occurred. For this evening well documented in nine pages of notes is my encounter with Secretary of State Dean Rusk at the Fairmont Hotel. A crowd of 1200 ate a fancy dinner and heard the Secretary defend our foreign policies. Sitting approximately 50 feet away and with a good view. An excellent one. I had one of the best experiences, ever. It all came about as Sam and I went to see a protest against Rusk at the Fairmont. The folks shouted and waved placards and the police stood about later engaging in some harassment. I went into the lobby which I thought would be closed to spectators. I said hello to the Time Magazine SF bureau chief who seemed in a hurry at the end of the hall. I saw a person scurrying about with tickets to the function. I inquired where he was going and he said to the banquet and invited me to come along. The folks were certainly well dressed and security types couldn’t really believe it but there we were with tickets. One policeman wanted to know where we got the tickets but had to let us go on. Once inside it was a grand room and the people we sat with at the tables were really nice. And even when the hostesses badgered us the folks at our table defended us. It seems we were the celebrities of the evening and I felt like some little kid meeting baseball stars. As we left the police outside did a real double take. I had on my boots, green corduroys, white sweater, suede coat and neck scarf. And that makes it one of the classic things of the evening. My companion Scott Johnson was dressed in tennis shoes though he had a sports coat on. After I met Governor Brown who looked harmless. More details are given in the nine pages of notes (since lost)..which are a historic memento.

**Kezar Stadium in San Francisco where the peace rally was held. Groups came from Los Angeles and the Northwest to join in the march and rally. April 15th, 1967 (AP Photo/Robert W. Klein)**

Luckily for me I was able to find an accurate accounting of what transpired outside on the streets of San Francisco.

**“DEAN RUSK COME S TO SAN FRANCISCO” – Bruce Hartford**

**New York Times article** – **January 11, 1968**

Pete Seeger covered the Country Joe and the Fish Vietnam War protest song ‘I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die Rag’ in 1970. There were initially plans to release his version as a single. Some copies were sent out to DJs. But according to Seeger, distributors refused to handle it, and it was never officially released. It eventually found its way onto the Internet. It was also included as a bonus track on a reissue of his 1969 album Young vs. Old.

Top photo caption. Policeman uses his club to subdue a girl demonstrator at the Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco, Jan. 11, 1968. Demonstrators were protesting the Vietnam War while U.S. Secretary of State Dean Rusk was inside the hotel giving a speech. (AP Photo)

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