Click on the TV to see the Milwaukee 14 in action, burning draft files in a downtown Milwaukee Park. (From the WTMJ-TV Collection)

On September 24, 1968, fourteen men, including five priests and a minister, removed approximately 10,000 1-A draft files from Milwaukee's Selective Service boards and burned them with home-made napalm in a nearby square dedicated to America's war dead. After being arrested, they spent a month in prison, unable to raise the unusually harsh bail set at $415,000. Trial was set for the following year, and most members served jail time. Protesters marched on every court date, and Father Groppi came to their aid, co-chairing the Milwaukee 14 Defense Committee. Their actions became legendary, along with other groups at the time, such as the Chicago 7 and the Catonsville 9 lead by activist Daniel Berrigan.

The Milwaukee 14 collection contains newspaper clippings, a newsletter that includes "The Prison Diary of Jim Forrest," written by one of the Milwaukee 14, and other items documenting their arrest and trial.

The Milwaukee 14 and communication:

Did the Milwaukee 14 effectively communicate their views to the public?

Do you think this kind of communication affects policy makers?

Are there groups today using these forms of communication? What are some issues in recent years that have resulted in protest and demonstration?

In the Archives: Newsletters, press releases, news clippings, biographical sketches, and printed statements of the participants. The WTMJ-TV collection also has dramatic footage of the draft burning and demonstrations that took place during the trials of various members.