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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Democratic Convention T-Shirt A Real Riot But Mayor, Others Not Happy At Reference To 1968 Violence

Chicago Tribune

When a few Chicago cops asked Pat Gutkoska back in January whether he planned to print a special T-shirt for the Democratic National Convention, he never thought it would come to this.

Calls and orders from all over the country. Bootlegs of his shirt sold on Chicago street corners next to bootleg Bulls shirts. Write-ups in the national press. Sellouts at police conventions. An angry activist creating his own version of the shirt, and city officials, all the way up to the mayor, expressing their displeasure.

“This started out as a joke, something the guys could laugh about,” said Gutkoska, 46, owner of PDT Printing.

The shirt that has caused all the commotion is navy blue with white lettering that says, “We kicked your father’s ass in 1968 … Wait ‘til you see what we do to you.” On the front it says “Chicago Police” and “Democratic National Convention Chicago - 1996.”

It refers to the violence between cops and demonstrators during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. This August, Chicago will host its first major national political convention since that tumultuous event.

The shirt has been a hot item at City Hall, but Mayor Richard Daley isn’t too happy.

Police say privately that the mayor has let their bosses know that any police officer found selling or wearing the shirt will be disciplined.

But Gutkoska says he didn’t mean the shirt as anything but a joke. He says Daley and others who don’t like them have taken them the wrong way - too seriously.

Gutkoska was 18 during the 1968 convention, a self-described “freak” who opposed the Vietnam War.

“If you would have told me in 1968 that I would be selling this shirt to the police, I wouldn’t have believed you.”