Flamingo Park (Miami Beach, Florida)

 park, 1950_construction

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Currently the home of bocce on South Beach.

In 1972, this park was the space set aside by Rocky Pomeranz (larger-than-life then-police-chief of Miami Beach) for all of the protesters in town for the political conventions. (In 1972, both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions were held in Miami Beach.) Abbie Hoffman and the Youth International Party (Yippies) 'organized,' the VVAW were 'security,' vast clouds of pot smoke wafted everywhere. After the horrors of Chicago in 1968 everyone expected violence, but the Beach police (under Rocky's orders) were supremely tolerant of this colorful invasion of their city. One memorable moment was broadcast on a local news affiliate - half-a-dozen longhairs in a row, with a MB cop at each end, arms all linked, singing "Don't Bogart That Joint." CC