The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020) quotes

Director
Aaron Sorkin.

Cast
Sacha Baron Cohen.
Eddie Redmayne.
Mark Rylance.

The story of 7 people on trial stemming from various charges surrounding the uprising at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois.

That’s right, we’re not goin’ to jail because of what we did, we’re goin’ to jail because of who we are!
– Abbie Hoffman

And the record should reflect, that defendant Hoffman and I are not related.
– Judge Julius Hoffman
Father, no!
– Abbie Hoffman
Mr. Hoffman, are you familiar with contempt of court?
– Judge Julius Hoffman
It’s practically a religion for me, sir.
– Abbie Hoffman

Do you know why you’re on trial here?
– William Kunstler
We carried certain ideas across state lines. Not machine guns or drugs or little girls. Ideas. When we crossed from New York to New Jersey to Pennsylvania to Ohio to Illinois, we had certain ideas. And for that, we were gassed, beaten, arrested, and put on trial.
– Abbie Hoffman

This is the Academy Awards of protests and as far as I’m concerned it’s an honor just to be nominated.
– Lee Weiner

How much is it worth to you? What’s your price?
– Reporter Jack
To call off the revolution?
– Abbie Hoffman
What’s your price?
– Reporter Jack
My life.
– Abbie Hoffman

In 1861, Lincoln said in his inaugural address: ‘When the people shall grow weary of their constitutional right to amend their government, they shall exert their revolutionary right to dismember and overthrow that government.’ And if Lincoln had given that speech in Lincoln Park last summer, he’d be put on trial with the rest of us.
– Abbie Hoffman
So, how do you overthrow or dismember, as you say, your government peacefully?
– William Kunstler
In this country, we do it every four years.
– Abbie Hoffman

We’ve dealt with jury tampering, wiretapping, a defendant that was literally gagged, and a judge who’s been handing down rulings from the bench that would be considered wrong in Honduras, so I’m a little less interested in the law than I was when this trial began.
– William Kunstler

Do you have contempt for your government?
– Richard Schultz
I think the institutions of our democracy are wonderful things, that right now are populated by some terrible people.
– Abbie Hoffman
Please answer the question.
– Richard Schultz
Tell me again?
– Abbie Hoffman
Do you have contempt for your government?
– Richard Schultz
I’ll tell you, Mr. Schultz, it’s nothing compared to the contempt my government has for me.
– Abbie Hoffman

Why won’t Bobby Seale let anyone represent him?
– Reporter Jack
You’ve posed that question in the form of a lie.
– Jerry Rubin

Maybe you don’t want to call it the Conspiracy Office.
– William Kunstler
They understand the irony, and appreciate the humour.
– Bernadine
I wouldn’t count on it.
– William Kunstler
Most people are smart, Bill.
– Bernadine
Well, if you believe that, you’ll get your heart broken every day of your life.
– William Kunstler

Winning elections, that’s the first thing on your wish list? Equality, justice, education, poverty and progress, they’re second?
– Abbie Hoffman
If you don’t win elections, it doesn’t matter what’s second. And it is astonishing to me that someone still has to explain that to you.
– Tom Hayden

If blood is going to flow, let it flow all over this city!
– Tom Hayden

It’s almost hard to believe the seven of us weren’t able to end a war.
– Lee Weiner

What is that?
– Tom Hayden
I’ve been keeping a list every day. Americans who’ve been killed since the day we were arrested.
– Rennie Davis
Why?
– Tom Hayden
With the trial starting, it might get easy to forget who this is about.
– Rennie Davis

Are we using the trial to defend ourselves against very serious charges that could land us in prison for ten years, or to say a pointless “fuck you” to the establishment?
– Tom Hayden
Fuck you!
– Jerry Rubin
That is what I was afraid… Wait, I don’t know if you were saying “fuck you” or answering.
– Tom Hayden
…I was also confused.
– Abbie Hoffman

On top of everything, we’re giving them what they want: a stage and an audience.
– Richard Schultz

Of course, because you took that black guy and you made him a sympathetic character.
– William Kunstler
Mr. Kunstler, I have lived a a very long time, sir, and you’re the first person ever to suggest that I have discriminated against a black man!
– Judge Julius Hoffman
Then let the record show that I am the second.
– Leonard Weinglass

I don’t carry money, do you?
– Abbie Hoffman
I do. I’m a grown man.
– David Dellinger

Richard, Chicago was more fucked up than any ten things I’ve seen in my life.
– John Mitchell

This is a political trial that was already decided for us. Ignoring that reality is just weird to me.
– Abbie Hoffman
There are civil trials, and there are criminal trials. There’s no such thing as a political trial.
– William Kunstler
Okay…
– Abbie Hoffman

Jerry, do you know why the French only eat one egg for breakfast?
– Agent Daphne O’Connor
No.
– Jerry Rubin
Because in France, one egg… is un oeuf.
– Agent Daphne O’Connor