- Title: Tom Hayden, prominent social activist, politician dead at 76
- Date: 24th October 2016
- Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FILE - 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF POLITICAL ACTIVIST TOM HAYDEN AT HIS DESK (SOUNDBITE) (English) POLITICAL ACTIVIST TOM HAYDEN, SPEAKING ABOUT THE VIETNAM WAR, SAYING: "It was pretty much already over and we decided that in the name of God to go in and prop up this Catholic dictatorship under Ngo Dinh Diem supported by Cardinal Spellman and take on all of Vietnam, which is number one a Buddhists culture, number two nationalist and number three communist led. What kind of people would have said this is a smart move? I'll tell you. They and their descendants run the State Department and the C.I.A. now. The policies are not that much different. It is the old Judy Collins question, 'When will we ever learn?"
- Embargoed: 8th November 2016 08:41
- Keywords: social activist politician Tom Hayden death California
- Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES / NAMDINH, HANOI AND QUANG DUC PROVINCE, VIETNAM
- City: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES / NAMDINH, HANOI AND QUANG DUC PROVINCE, VIETNAM
- Country: USA
- Topics: Celebrities,Arts/Culture/Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA00155D58P3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: PLEASE NOTE THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL THAT WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
Veteran social activist and politician Tom Hayden, a stalwart of America's New Left who served 18 years in California's state legislature and gained a dash of Hollywood glamour by marrying actress Jane Fonda, has died aged 76, according to media reports.
Hayden died in Santa Monica, California, after a long illness, The Los Angeles Times reported on its website.
Hayden, who forged his political activism as a founding member of Students for a Democratic Society, which stood at the core of the 1960s anti-war and civil rights movements, was principal author of the group's revolutionary manifesto, the Port Huron Statement.
The University of Michigan student ventured into the Deep South, where he joined voter registration campaigns and was arrested and beaten while taking part in the "freedom rider" protests against racial segregation.
Hayden, however, became perhaps best known as one of the "Chicago Eight" activists tried on conspiracy and incitement charges following protests at the turbulent 1968 Democratic National Convention. He was ultimately acquitted of all charges.
A New York Times book review of his 1988 memoir, "Reunion," one of more than 20 books published under his name, called Hayden "the single greatest figure of the 1960s student movement."
Outliving contemporaries Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Eldridge Cleaver and Huey Newton, Hayden remained active in left-wing politics well into the 21st century, posting on Twitter just a week ago.
Winning election himself to the California state Assembly in 1982, and then the state Senate a decade later, Hayden went on to serve a total of 18 years.
Later he became director of the Peace and Justice Resource Center, a nonprofit left-wing think tank devoted mainly to analysis of continued U.S. military involvement in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, drug policy and global poverty.
Hayden was married to actress Jane Fonda from 1973 to 1990, with whom he had two children. Midway through their marriage, the couple graced the cover of People Magazine.
In later years his writings were published in national publications including The New York Times, the Boston Globe and the Denver Post. He served on the editorial board and was a columnist for The Nation magazine, and was the author of more than 20 books. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
