Greyhound Bus Station Protest, May 14, 1961

Greyhound Bus Station Protest, May 14, 1961. . , Front , This was the site of the Greyhound bus terminal where on May 14, 1961, a bus carrying black and white Civil Rights Activists known as "Freedom Riders" was attacked by a mob of whites who were protesting desegregation of public transportation facilities., As the Riders remained on board, the mob hit the bus with bats and pipes, slashed its tires, and shouted insults. After local law enforcement intervened, the bus departed for Birmingham., Inset photo: Protestors at Greyhound Bus Station. Photograph courtesy Public Library of Anniston and Calhoun County. , Continued on Reverse. , Reverse , Six miles outside Anniston on Alabama Highway 202, the Greyhound bus that had been attacked earlier by a mob of white extremists on this site was forced to stop because of a deflated tire. The pursuing mob intensified its attack and set the bus on fire, forcing the riders to depart. On board were "Freedom Riders" who were testing Boynton v. Virginia, the Supreme Court decision that segregation of public transportation was illegal., After federal intervention at the site of the burning bus, the injured Riders were transported by ambulance to Anniston Memorial Hospital. The violence prompted a federal investigation.