The band performed as part of the protests against the Vietnam War at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago that were broken up by a police riot . The group 's appearance at the convention is also notable for their lengthy performance . In an interview featured in the documentary '' Get Up , Stand Up '' , Kramer reported that while many musicians were scheduled to perform at a day-long concert , only the MC5 initially appeared . The MC5 played for over eight hours straight . Of the other scheduled performers , Kramer stated in '' Get Up , Stand Up '' that only Neil Young actually arrived , though due to the chaos at the convention , Young did n't perform . Dennis Thompson asserted years later that " Country Joe " McDonald ( Country Joe and the Fish ) was also present at the scene ( Thompson , 2000 ) . Other performers at the convention included the protest folk singer Phil Ochs
1968 Democratic National Convention
1968 Democratic National Convention
MC5