Toledo Riots

The **Toledo Riots of March 1965** were a series of anti-war protests and riots primarily driven by Anarchists and Cristorian Separationists in Toledo, Ohio, Louisville, Kentucky, and various places in North America against United States involvement in the Vietnam War. The protests began as peaceful demonstrations but quickly turned violent, resulting in property damage, injuries, and loss of life.

## History

The riots began in March 1965 as Anarchists and Cristorian Separationists gathered to protest United States involvement in the Vietnam War peacefully. With the protests beginning, they had the support of the shipping line Christopher Lines, delivering supplies such as food, more personnel, and cabins for protests to sleep (aboard their fleet of ships). The supplies were then delivered from the ships through rail via Christopher Railways, they were then delivered through the company's trucks.

The first series of protests began on March 17th, 1965, where protestors, mainly Cristorian Separationists, led a march from East Toledo to the Lucas County Courthouse. Throughout the way there, the Toledo Police Department attempted to obstruct their direction as they interrupted traffic, and with anger, the protesters begun attacking the officers.

As the riots continued throughout April and into May, violence and disruption across Ohio and Kentucky began to escalate. On May 13th, 1965, anti-war protests and demonstrations escalated into widespread riots in Toledo and Louisville, with clashes between rioters and law enforcement becoming increasingly violent and destructive.

As the riots continued throughout May and into June, the Governor of Ohio and Kentucky declared a state of emergency, allowing federal troops to be deployed to quash the violence. With the presence of federal troops, the now rioters saw this as an act of war and began getting even more violent, with some rioters even being armed with weapons such as guns, knives, bombs, etcetera.

As the riots and violent clashes between the rioters and law enforcement still continued, tensions between protestors and police increased, with clashes becoming more frequent and destructive.

On June 9th, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson was faced with a dilemma regarding the situation. With the protests showing no signs of declining, the President decided to officially declare a state of emergency in both Ohio and Kentucky and even publicly criticized the CEO of Christopher Lines, Charles Bateman, for supporting the rioters. The declaration of a state of emergency opened the door to the deployment of even more federal troops to try to bring the riot to an end and restore peace.

Throughout July 1965, the rioting continued, with rioters engaging in property destruction and violent clashes with law enforcement. This violence escalated further on July 17th, when rioters stormed a group of federal buildings in Toledo and bombed a National Guardsman armory. On July 31st, 1965, armed groups of rioters engaged in multiple exchanges of gunfire with federal troops in downtown Toledo and Louisville.

By August 1965, rioters had destroyed dozens of buildings and structures throughout Ohio and Kentucky, with the destruction causing millions of dollars in damage.

Throughout August and September 1965, rioting and violence continued to escalate in Ohio and Kentucky. Federal troops and law enforcement engaged with rioters on multiple occasions, resulting in additional casualties and property damage. On September 12th, 1965, rioters in Louisville stormed the Federal Building, resulting in the deaths of multiple police officers. On October 9th, 1965, the rioters set forth a demand for the withdrawal of federal troops in Kentucky. The rioters and military officials held negotiations, but negotiations broke down and rioting and violence continued throughout autumn and into winter.

Throughout November 1965 and January 1966, rioters and federal troops continued to engage in armed clashes and violent confrontations. The violence peaked on January 17th, 1966, when rioters stormed a federal building in Toledo and killed federal military personnel. The rioters and federal troops held negotiations once again and agreed to a ceasefire, however, violent riots and clashes continued on lesser scales over the next few weeks. On February 17th, 1967, the United States formally declared war on the Separationists, starting the Cristorian–American War, with President Lyndon B. Johnson formally coming on air and announcing that Congress had formally agreed to declare war on the Cristorian Separationists and the Anarchists.

## Pro-American Counterprotests

While many anarchists and separationists protested against United States foreign policy and involvement in the Vietnam War, there was also a vocal group that voiced support for the United States military, government, and their policies.

These Pro-American protestors organized counterprotests in response to the anarchist and Cristorian rioters, and often held pro-American and anti-anarchist sentiments. These counterprotests were met with mixed results, with some turning violent and resulting in clashes between protestors.

While not as large or organized as the anarchist and Cristorian separationist riots, the pro-American counterprotesters expressed their views on a small and local scale.

The counterprotests were met with mixed results, with some turning violent and resulting in clashes between protestors, and others remaining peaceful and civil. The sentiment of support for the United States government and military held by some was a reflection of the divisive and controversial nature of the Anarchist Riots and Cristorian Separationist movement.

## Media and International Reaction

While the riots and demonstrations had support from various groups, the public and media reaction was mixed. Some outlets sympathized with the Anarchist and Cristorian Separationist protestors' goals and sentiments, but others criticized their methods and actions. This led to media coverage that sometimes skewed towards a particular side and reflected the divisive and controversial nature of the movement. Some outlets portrayed the protestors as violent and destructive radicals, while others emphasized their right to protest and their legitimate grievances against the United States government and its policies.

The media's portrayal of the riots and protestors varied widely, and many different outlets expressed varying viewpoints and perspectives. This led to confusing and sometimes conflicting coverage of the events, with some outlets taking a more sympathetic and understanding approach to the protests, while others adopted a harsher and condemning tone. This mixed media reaction ultimately reflected the divisive and controversial nature of the Anarchist Riots and Cristorian Separationists' movement.

While the riots and demonstrations occurred on a local level in Ohio and Kentucky, the events and movement drew attention from international communities and governments.

Some nations, such as the United States' Cold War rivals, the Soviet Union, China, and East Germany, held a generally sympathetic view of the Anarchist riots and Cristorian Separationists and saw the events as an opportunity to undermine American political and economic power. NATO countries, such as United Kingdom, France, and West Germany, strongly condemned the riots and the actions of the protestors, viewing the events as violent and destructive. This varied international response to the Anarchist Riots and Cristorian Separationists' movement reflected broader political divisions and sentiments within the global community. While some sympathized with the movement's anti-war and anti-authoritarian goals, others felt the actions of the protestors were unjustified and unproductive. This international reaction to the events helped to fuel the divisiveness and controversy surrounding the movement, and also shaped the broader political and sociological effects of the Anarchist riots in Ohio and Kentucky.

Flag variant of the Cristorian Separationist MovementFlag variant of the Cristorian Separationist MovementAnarchist flag that was used during the riotsFlag variant of Ohio that was used during the pro-American counterprotestsCristorian Separationist Movement flag raised during a protest in Louisville, KY, in 1965Cristorian Separationist Movement flag raised in Europe, circa 1966Cristorian Separationist Movement flag raised on Wall Street during clash with pro-AmericansCristorian-Anarchist flag raised in New York City during a protest, circa 1967Help Ohio (pro-American) protest at the Capitol of the United States in August 1966Second shot of the Help Ohio (pro-American) protest at the Capitol of the United States in 1966Help Ohio (pro-American) protest at the Capitol of the United States during September 1966Help Kentucky protest at the United States Capitol in 1966Ohioan flag raised on the front of the Capitol of the United States by protestersHelp Kentucky protest at the United States Capitol in 1966Pro-American protest at the Capitol of the United States in 1967Cristorian Separationist Movement protest at the Capitol of the United States in January 1967First recorded clash between Cristorian Separationists and Pro-Americans, February 1967Anarchist protest in Washington DC in 1967Anarchist Riot in Washington DC in 1967Poster made by the Chinese Women for Cristoria organization to show support for the Cristorian Separationists in 1967The Cristorian Separationist Movement marching toward the Capitol of the United States to begin the Siege of the CapitolThe Cristorian Separationist Movement approaching the Capitol of the United States to begin the Siege of the CapitolCSM's Siege of the United States Capitol on February 17th, 1967Aftermath of CSM's Siege of the United States Capitol, February 17th, 1967CSM Siege of the Toledo City Council building, February 17th, 1967