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Who were the Freedom Riders, and where in the South did they run into violence?

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Final answer:

The Freedom Riders were civil rights activists who challenged segregation laws by participating in bus rides through the South. They encountered violence in Rock Hill, SC; Anniston, AL; Birmingham, AL; and Mississippi.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Freedom Riders were civil rights activists who undertook bus rides through the South in 1961 to test the enforcement of a U.S. Supreme Court decision prohibiting segregation on interstate transportation. They aimed to protest segregated waiting rooms in southern terminals as well. The Freedom Riders faced violence in several locations, including:

  1. Rock Hill, South Carolina, where a mob severely beat John Lewis.
  2. Anniston, Alabama, where one of the buses was firebombed.
  3. Birmingham, Alabama, where the riders were attacked by the Ku Klux Klan at the city bus station.
  4. Mississippi, where they were arrested for attempting to desegregate waiting rooms.

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