<P> On March 15 and 16, SNCC led several hundred demonstrators, including Alabama students, Northern students, and local adults, in protests near the capitol complex . The Montgomery County sheriff's posse met them on horseback and drove them back, whipping them . Against the objections of James Bevel, some protesters threw bricks and bottles at police . At a mass meeting on the night of the 16th, Forman "whipped the crowd into a frenzy" demanding that the President act to protect demonstrators, and warned, "If we can't sit at the table of democracy, we'll knock the fucking legs off ." </P> <P> The New York Times featured the Montgomery confrontations on the front page the next day . Although Dr. King was concerned by Forman's violent rhetoric, he joined him in leading a march of 2000 people in Montgomery to the Montgomery County courthouse . </P> <P> According to historian Gary May, "City officials, also worried by the violent turn of events...apologized for the assault on SNCC protesters and invited King and Forman to discuss how to handle future protests in the city ." In the negotiations, Montgomery officials agreed to stop using the county posse against protesters, and to issue march permits to blacks for the first time . </P> <P> Governor Wallace did not negotiate, however . He continued to have state police arrest any demonstrators who ventured onto Alabama State property of the capitol complex . </P>

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