MIAMI BEACH – As Florida leaders plan for the upcoming Republican National Convention in Tampa, a view of how city fathers planned for Republican and Democrat national political conventions in 1972.
This video, from the Florida Memory project, shows Miami Beach as it planned, including logistics. The convention was held at the Miami Beach Convention Center, still extant.
One interesting point; hippie demonstrators were a threat to the order then. Officials in 1972 allowed the long-hairs to have a tent city, rather like Occupy was allowed to camp in some locales. They thought that keeping the youths under control, in camp areas, was preferable to mess in the streets.
