“All of these diametrically opposed forces sort of light up like the stars lighting up and they came to blows with each other,” Swerdlowe said. “What happened that day is only the result of these bigger issues.”

According to Swerdlowe, many officials in city government and the police department were opposed to the political ideas and social values held by many students who attended Mifflin.

“You had the larger community which controlled all the elements of power and the university community in which there was a subculture of people that wanted to express themselves,” Swerdlowe said.

Unlike the block party today, students focused more on political ideals rather than consuming alcohol.

“People didn’t drink a lot because drinking dulls the senses, and in that era, we didn’t want our senses dulled,” Swerdlowe said.

Madison Mayor Paul Soglin, who was arrested twice during the party and ensuing riots, said the party had deep political undertones as it continued through the 1970s, but began to transform in the 1980s.