Apr. 22, 1964 | Protests at Opening of New York World's Fair

Apr. 22, 1964 - The New York World's Fair opened today with a prophecy by President Johnson of peace within this generation. A cold rain cut deeply into attendance and plans for a massive traffic stall-in collapsed. In the late afternoon, trains were running almost empty to the fair. Attendance mounted slowly to a total of 90,025 -- far below the anticipated 250,000 to 500,000 opening-day visitors. Inside the fair, civil rights demonstrators marched by the hundreds. The threat of racial disorders undoubtedly contributed also to the small attendance. There were frequent clashes between police and pickets, and some 290 persons were arrested. Some Negro and white demonstrators -- those arrested were about equally divided -- were lifted from the ground and borne away in police vans.

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