'68

Name: '68
Start: 2026-05-23
Location: Middle East Restaurant and Club, 472-480 Massachusetts Ave

May

Date

23 May (Saturday)

Time

Sat, 7 PM

Venue

Middle East Restaurant and Club, 472-480 Massachusetts Ave

Cambridge, MA, United States

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📝 Useful Information

In 1968, Cambridge, Massachusetts, was a central hub for the political and social upheavals that defined the decade. Major events that year were primarily centered around civil rights activism, anti-Vietnam War protests, and local community organizing.

Are you looking for more details on a specific protest or perhaps current commemorative events related to the 1968 legacy?

Political and Social Activism

Harvard University Events

Cultural and Music Milestones

•Anti-War Rallies: On November 9, 1968, the Massachusetts Mobilization to End the War in Vietnam sponsored a massive post-election rally. A march began at Cambridge Common and moved toward Boston Common, featuring speakers like Noam Chomsky of MIT.

•Cambridge Common

•and moved toward Boston Common, featuring speakers like

•"Inner Belt" Highway Protests: Throughout 1968, local residents and activists intensified their fight against the proposed Inner Belt Expressway, an eight-lane highway that would have demolished parts of Central Square. A notable event occurred when Mayor Barbara Ackermann rode a horse up Brookline Avenue dressed as Paul Revere to mobilize citizens for a demonstration at the State House.

•Inner Belt Expressway

•Response to MLK Assassination: Following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in April, Cambridge experienced significant mourning and tension. Local fire departments reported arson and civil unrest as "race riots" spread across the U.S., impacting the atmosphere in Cambridge neighborhoods.

•1968 Commencement Protest: During the graduation ceremony, police removed demonstrators from Harvard Yard who were protesting the choice of the Shah of Iran as the commencement speaker.

•ROTC Credit Controversy: In October 1968, the Harvard Undergraduate Council (HUC) passed a resolution to remove academic credit from ROTC courses, a move that sparked intense debate between students, faculty, and the Pentagon.

•Anti-Draft Campaign: 150 students formed the Harvard Draft Union to organize a campus-wide anti-draft campaign. By April, 442 undergraduates had signed a public statement refusing to serve in the Vietnam War.

•Dow Chemical Barricade: Students barricaded a recruiter from Dow Chemical (the maker of napalm) inside a campus laboratory to protest the company's role in the war.

•Club 47 Performances: The legendary folk venue Club 47 (now Club Passim) in Harvard Square hosted influential artists, including Pete Wolf of the Hallucinations in March 1968, just before the venue underwent significant changes.

•Richie Havens at MIT: Folk singer Richie Havens performed a notable concert at MIT's Kresge Auditorium on October 19, 1968.

•Kresge Auditorium

•The Avatar Convictions: In March 1968, 18 people—including five Harvard students—were convicted in East Cambridge Court for selling the underground newspaper Avatar, which authorities deemed "obscene".

•East Cambridge Court

Updated at 22 Mar 2026