may 4, 1961 - First of the Freedom Rides set off

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The first freedom riders left Washington DC on 4th May 1961 on 2 buses heading for the south
To begin with, there were few problems, but that all changed when the first bus reached Anniston, Alabama
14th May, the first bus arrived at the station in Anniston, but the station, warned of potential trouble, had closed
The freedom riders were met by an angry crowd, led by Ku Klux Klan leader William Chappell
The crow attacked the bus; the windows and sides were smashed and the tyres were damaged
Police arrived and cleared a path for the bus to leave, however no one was arrested for the damage
A police escort led the bus to the outskirts of the city but then left, leaving the bus to the mob that had followed it
The damaged tyres finally burst, forcing the driver to pull over
THE MOB TRIED TO ENTER THE BUS AND ROLL IT OVER
Then, someone threw a firebomb through one of the broken windows into the bus
Others held the door shut while the bus was filled with smoke and the fire spread
As fire moved towards the petrol tank, the white mob left the bus, fearing an explosion
This allowed passengers to escape, though some were attacked as they left the bus
Highway petroleum prevented more attacks and the riders were taken by car to Birmingham Airport
THE SECOND BUS WAS ALSO ATTACKED WHEN IT ARRIVED IN ANNISTON
The passengers were dragged off the bus and beaten up, but they were determined to complete the journey
They got back on the bus and continued to Montgomery, where they were again met by Klansmen and beaten
The police chief, ‘Bull’ Connor, ordered the police to do nothing
FREEDOM RIDES CONTINUED
CORE arranged more freedom rides and the SNCC became involved as well
On 20 May, members of the press as well as freedom fighters were attacked by hundreds of Klan members in Montgomery
This developed into attacks on the wider black community, but it was the freedom riders who were arrested for ‘starting a riot’
More and more people offered to be freedom riders, even though the violence and arrests continued
By the end of summer 1961, there had been over 60 freedom rides
Over 300 riders were sent to jail in Jackson, Mississippi, alone. Many more were beaten up
HOWEVER, THEY ACHIEVED THEIR AIM
The continuing violence against them attracted huge media attention
The Federal Government, under President Kennedy, was embarrassed by what the world was seeing
It threatened to send in US marshals to enforce desegregation of interstate buses and bus station facilities if states did not obey
The threat was enough and the states began to integrate bus facilities, which brought an end to the freedom rides by the end of 1961

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