In this WALB newsfilm clip from July 21, 1962, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. answers reporters' questions from the steps of Albany City Hall in Albany, Georgia, after being served with a federal injunction barring civil rights protests. The clip begins with King leaving city hall after receiving the restraining order, accompanied by Dr. William G. Anderson, president of the Albany Movement, and Reverend Ralph D. Abernathy of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). As the men exit the building, reporters waiting outside begin questioning King. When asked if the restraining order means the end of mass demonstrations, King responds that a decision will be made after he, Anderson, and Abernathy review the papers and confer with movement lawyers. In response to another reporter's question, King mentions that Donald L. Hollowell, one of the Albany Movement lawyers, is back in Atlanta. Hollowell had flown to New Orleans to request that the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals consider reversing the restraining order. Another reporter asks King if he knew of the injunction prior to arriving at city hall at 2:00 pm. King reveals that he had heard the previous night that there was an attempt to get an injunction, and that it had been discussed at a mass meeting held that evening. He expected a state court to issue an injunction, but was surprised that a federal court agreed to do so. King explains that he and many of the other civil rights leaders in Albany were unavailable earlier in the day because they wanted to discuss issues as a group before the injunction was issued; he declines to reveal where they met. He then informs the reporters that they may reach movement leadership with further questions through the law offices of C. B. King, or the office of Dr. Anderson; he also notes that he anticipates a press conference will be held from Dr. Anderson's office later in the day. Finally, King emphasizes that he considers the injunction unjust, and confirms that the leadership will appeal the decision to the Fifth Circuit Court. Albany city officials obtained a temporary restraining order from federal judge J. Robert Elliott on July 21 prohibiting protests and other mass demonstrations led by those named in the injunction. Movement lawyers C. B. King of Albany and Donald Hollowell of Atlanta, working with other regional and national civil rights lawyers, successfully convinced chief federal appellate court judge Elbert P. Tuttle to reverse the injunction on July 24.

The Civil Rights Digital Library received support from a National Leadership Grant for Libraries awarded to the University of Georgia by the Institute of Museum and Library Services for digital conversion and description of the WALB News Film collection.

Title provided by cataloger.

1 clip (ca. 3 min 5 sec.) : b&w, sd. ; 16 mm.

Original found in the WALB newsfilm collection.

Cite as: WALB newsfilm clip of Martin Luther King, Jr. answering reporters' questions about a federal injunction barring civil rights protests in Albany, Georgia, 1962 July 21, Albany Movement compilation, WALB News Film collection, Albany Movement Compilation Roll 1 [Tape 1], Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Award Collection, The University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Ga., as presented in the Digital Library of Georgia.

Forms part of: Civil Rights Digital Library.