A number of writers came to Chicago in August 1968 to witness the demonstrations that promised to disrupt the Democratic National Convention. Many of those in attendance, such as William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Terry Southern and Abbie Hoffman, became unwilling participants in the rioting that broke out when the police attempted to clear Lincoln Park on August 30th. Thousands of protesters took to the street, and many were arrested, including Bobby Seale, Abbie Hoffman, Tom Hayden, and Jerry Rubin. Television images of the police brutally beating the demonstrators awoke a sense of unease among many viewers.