Title: Hipville
Subtitle: To survive, take heed, brothers.
Date: 1967
Notes: Fifth Estate #36, August 15–31, 1967

An important notice for your safety and survival

Reprinted from Berkley Barb (UPS)

(Time is short. If you haven’t already seen the following prophetic notice by the communication company, issued this weekend, take heed. And take heart.)

Sorry to bring you down, but this is about the riots our black brothers have planned for the city. There isn’t much hope that they won’t occur.

What do they mean to you, as white hippies, et. al.?

Riots mean that the black people are going to be busy and would appreciate your getting out of the way. Within the patterns set by riots this last week in Newark and Detroit, we can expect vast looting, which means that people will be treating all stores as free stores. Some people will be setting fires, usually after a store has been emptied. Police and later national guard and federal troops will come into all riot areas by the thousands, armed with rifles, machine guns, and tanks. Their purpose will be to protect the property, and disperse crowds.

We can expect snipers shooting from roofs and windows at police, guard and possible fire department units. Due to snipers, the fire department may allow fires to burn and concentrate on saving important places. Major streets will be closed and many areas of the city will be closed to traffic and under curfew. Curfew means if they see you they will bust you and if you run they will shoot you. This state of war in the streets may last as long as a week. These activities will be taking place in many areas of the city, including the Fillmore, Hunter’s Point-Bayview, Potrero, Mission, Haight/Ashbury, Tenderloin, and Downtown areas.

Your problems in these situations include not getting killed or stomped, having enough food, getting somewhere else alive if your house burns down, not getting arrested.

Looting will empty all food stores in one day. No trucks will come to bring more food to the stores until all riots have stopped, which means no food for a week. Store some up right now, cause when it starts will be too late. Water, gas and lights may stop. Be prepared for this one. After the riots stop, but before the “rebuilding” begins, all black people and some white people will be very hungry. Share your food.

Within the black people’s mind they will be fighting a revolution. If you hamper them in any way, you will be their enemy. During the riot the only help they want from you is your gun. If not that, get the fuck out of their way! Afterwards, they may welcome your food and help.

The police can be expected to use the riots as an excuse for unbridled brutality, so don’t fuck with them either. A hippie in the hands of frightened, shot-at police will be the victim of sadistic and vicious assault. Police can be expected to search house to house for snipers and looters, and will probably smash everything they touch.

These things have all happened in the last week in Newark and Detroit, and can be expected again this summer. The Black Power convention in Newark has declared revolution.

BROTHERS: SURVIVAL IS THE KEY...“STAY OUT OF THE FILLMORE...”

Printed in the Public Service by the Communication Company.