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Revision as of 21:15, 15 September 2007 by Astanhope (talk | contribs) (placeholder)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The Camden 28 were a group of "Catholic left" anti-Vietnam War activists who in 1971 planned and executed a "raid" on a Camden, New Jersey draft board.
The goal
The goal of the group was to make a bold statement in opposition of the war in Vietnam and to try to sabotage the small piece of the draft process that was administered through the Camden, New Jersey draft board. Their plan was that upon illegally gaining access to the draft board office at night, they would search for, collect and either destroy or remove all 1A-status draft registrations.
One group member, Bob Hardy, a talented carpenter/handyman, was opposed to the war but was also quietly opposed to the group's plans to break the law with this action. Feeling torn between loyalty to his friends in the group and his strict law-and-order philosophy, Hardy approached the local FBI with his concerns. The FBI encouraged Hardy to remain with the group so that he might watch them and pass along information about their activities to the FBI. Hardy allegedly agreed to this infiltration only after receiving assurances from his FBI handlers that none of the group - his friends - would ever spend time in jail.
As an FBI informant, Hardy became heavily involved with the group from a planning and training perspective. As he was a hands-on carpenter and handyman, he helped devise the plan whereby the group could break into the Federal office building within which the draft board was located. He supplied tools (mostly paid for by the FBI), expertise and training. Ladders would be used, windows would be cut with glass cutters, alarms would be bypassed, etc.
The raid was planned for the early hours of Sunday, August 22, 1971. With the activists all in their positions the raid commenced, carefully observed from the shadows by more than 40 FBI agents. The activists were allowed to break into the draft board office wherein they commenced destroying and bagging thousands of draft related documents. After a significant amount of time passed during which documents were destroyed or bagged for removal from the office, the hidden FBI agents were ordered to spring into action and arrest everyone involved. Those arrested, including two Catholic priests and a Protestant minister, became known as The Camden 28.
The trial
They were arrested and prosecuted in a high profile trial that became, for many, a referendum on the Vietnam War.
In the spring of 1973 all 28 defendants were acquitted on all counts.
Supreme Court Justice William Brennan said, of the trial, "I think Camden was one of the great trials of the 20th Century."
External links
- The Camden 28 - official website for a 2007 documentary about the incident.
- About the Camden 28 - PBS
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