Abbie Hoffman Caused A Kerfuffle On Stage

Abbie Hoffman was a renowned social and political activist best remembered for co-founding the Yippies (Youth International Party). He had a reputation for leading public riots, and he somehow nearly started one at Woodstock.

Hoffman disrupted The Who’s performance because he wanted to bring light to the injustice brought about by poet John Sinclair’s arrest. He grabbed the microphone from Pete Townsend, and a scuffle ensued on stage. While Townsend and most of the audience members agreed with Hoffman’s sentiments, disrupting the band’s performance didn’t win him any favor. It just wasn’t the right venue for a rally!