Danville Demonstrations, Sit-In at Howard Johnson's Restaurant
(WDBJ Television, Roanoke, VA)

At the Howard Johnson's sit-in, Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee member Bob Zellner spoke to the press about the goals of the movement. Zellner, a white student and activist, called for peaceful non-violent direct action and to "give the people an opportunity to change." Zellner began with the inclusive statement that they were tried to create "the type of society that we all basically want." Zellner pointed out the national chains, such as Howard Johnson's, had restaurants on all of the nation's major highways, so that it was paricularly important that Howard Johnson's change its policy and desegrate its facilities. The doors of the restaurant remained locked and Zellner maintained with a calm and cheerful demeanor that the protestors would stay outside the restaurant as long as they were able to.