NEW YORK—The Yippies died for a few months this year, partly from under-exposure and partly because, as Abbie Hoffman believes, “the establishment became even more absurd than the idea of YIP.” Hoffman is one of the leaders of the Youth International Party (YIP or Yippies for short).
YIP has renewed its plans for the Chicago Festival of Life conceived last December and forgotten in the mayhem of this year’s politics. The dates of the Festival are August 25-30 and will coincide with Democratic Party Death Convention.
YIP has been negotiating with Chicago Deputy Mayor David Stahl and so far has been offered either Soldier’s Field Stadium or Navy Pier for the event. Other details of the treaty are still being worked out, such as suspension of curfew laws regulations prohibiting people from sleeping on the beaches and a relaxation of pot busts.
At first Chicago seemed to have a policy of total repression. Two Chicago YIP functions were recently busted resulting in 31 arrests at one and a benefit dance raided by Chi pigs.
Their attitude now appears to be one of making the best of what they consider a very bad situation, in other words—a policy of containment.
If YIP gets the permit their plans include a five-day constitutional convention for the establishment of a Free America, a series of small workshops geared towards solving such problems as: establishment of communes; how to set up an underground newspaper; drugs; draft resistance and similar problems faced by those who wish to live outside the American system.
In addition, over 30 rock groups and folk performers are pledged to appear at free music festivals each night. Ed Sanders of the Fugs has agreed to serve as music coordinator on a full-time basis during July and August.
Radical theater groups from at least six cities (Washington, New Orleans, Minneapolis, New York, Los Angeles and Detroit) have also agreed to perform.
A march crosstown to the Democratic Convention is planned in cooperation with the Poor People’s Convention and National Mobilization, who also plans actions in Chicago during the convention.
People are being urged to bring sleeping bags, food for themselves and others, and hustle their own round-trip transportation. There will be sleeping areas set up on the beaches.
There is room and board for 25 full-time organizers available. Persons interested should contact the Chicago Seed, 647 North La Salle Avenue, Chicago, Illinois.