| − | In 1968, Ayers became leader of the [[Students for a Democratic Society]], and then a prominent leader of the violent "Weatherman group." Ayers and other members of the Weather Underground group created a bomb factory in [[New York]], and the organization would go on to bomb buildings such as the [[United States Capitol]], [[The Pentagon]], the United States [[Department of State]]. The aim of these acts was never to kill or injure human beings but rather to intimidate the government and sway popular opinion -- the organization always announced its targets beforehand and allowed time for evacuation. The only instance of a fatal Weatherman explosion was in [[Greenwich Village]] in [[New York City]], when an accidental explosion killed three members of the Weather Underground organization. In 1969, the Weather Underground planted a bomb at a statue dedicated to [[police]] casualties in the 1886 [[Haymarket Riot]]. The statue was blown into pieces, but was rebuilt in 1970. It was blown up again by the Weather Underground, five months later. | + | In 1968, Ayers became leader of the [[Students for a Democratic Society]], and then a prominent leader of the violent "Weatherman group." Ayers and other members of the Weather Underground group created a bomb factory in [[New York]], and the organization would go on to bomb buildings such as the [[United States Capitol]] (March 1 1971), [[The Pentagon]] (May 19 1972), the United States [[Department of State]] (January 28 1975).<ref>[http://foia.fbi.gov/weather/weath1c.pdf FBI file Weather Underground] pgs. 67-71 pdf</ref>. The aim of these acts was never to kill or injure human beings but rather to intimidate the government and sway popular opinion -- the organization always announced its targets beforehand and allowed time for evacuation. The only instance of a fatal Weatherman explosion was in [[Greenwich Village]] in [[New York City]], when an accidental explosion killed three members of the Weather Underground organization. In 1969, the Weather Underground planted a bomb at a statue dedicated to [[police]] casualties in the 1886 [[Haymarket Riot]]. The statue was blown into pieces, but was rebuilt in 1970. It was blown up again by the Weather Underground, five months later. |
| | In a 2001 interview with the [[New York Times]], Ayers said, "I don't regret setting bombs" and "I feel we didn't do enough." Ayers later claimed that he was quoted out of context, and that he meant that he felt that he had not done enough to oppose the war in Vietnam, which he defined as ''"[an] illegal, murderous, imperial war."'' <ref>Bill Ayers' blog, Episodic Notoriety–Fact and Fantasy, by Bill Ayers, 4/06/2008[http://billayers.wordpress.com/2008/04/06/episodic-notoriety-fact-and-fantasy/]</ref> | | In a 2001 interview with the [[New York Times]], Ayers said, "I don't regret setting bombs" and "I feel we didn't do enough." Ayers later claimed that he was quoted out of context, and that he meant that he felt that he had not done enough to oppose the war in Vietnam, which he defined as ''"[an] illegal, murderous, imperial war."'' <ref>Bill Ayers' blog, Episodic Notoriety–Fact and Fantasy, by Bill Ayers, 4/06/2008[http://billayers.wordpress.com/2008/04/06/episodic-notoriety-fact-and-fantasy/]</ref> |