Linda Evans (radical) - Students For A Democratic Society

Students For A Democratic Society

Evans began her life as an activist by organizing demonstrations at Michigan State University during 1965. In 1967 Evans became a member of the East Coast chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). She stated that she became interested in the civil rights movement after getting attacked by police during a demonstration at the Pentagon. “When I first became a political activist, I was a pacifist. I had never experience real violence in my own life and naively hoped that it changed.” Evans demonstrated her interest in anti-racism movements by supporting various groups championing Black, Native and Puerto Rican causes.

Evans’ leadership role in SDS began after a conference held on July 15, 1969 at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. At this she announced that she would be traveling with six other anti-war activists to Hanoi to participate in the release of three U.S pilots who were being held as prisoners of war. At this conference, she also read a statement from SDS which declared the organization's support for the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam. Almost a month later, on August 7, 1969, Evans returned from Hanoi along with the prisoners of war through Trans World Airlines.

Soon after Evans return from Hanoi, SDS held various conferences so that she could relate her experiences in Hanoi. During these conferences Evans stated that "SDS is on the side of North Vietnam and the National Liberation Front", called the U.S. the aggressor, and spoke of the "extremely humane treatment" given to captured American GIs. To conclude many of her appearances, she mentioned how willing the Vietnamese women and children were to bear arms in order to fight for their cause, and told of seeing an antiaircraft gun operated by Viet Cong women, cradling the gun in her arms and "wishing that an American plane would come over."

Two of these conferences were notable for their high attendance. One took place at St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church in Detroit on August 11, 1969, while the other took place at Cleveland during the SDS National Conference held August 29 through September 1, 1969. While at the SDS national convention, Evans announced her loyalty to Communism.

In 1970 Evans was arrested for conspiracy and crossing state lines to incite a riot while organizing for SDS’s National Action, more commonly known as the Days of Rage. The charges were dropped after it was disclosed that the government had used illegal wiretaps to obtain evidence. Evans was released on a $75,000 bond.

After Evans was released from prison in 1970, she moved to Texas where she continued to participate in radical causes.