Final answer:
Segregation in 1960s Birmingham was upheld by local authorities, while civil rights activists, led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., sought to dismantle it through nonviolent protests. These demonstrations were met with brutal police violence, sparking national outrage and advances in civil rights efforts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The two sides of the segregation issue in Birmingham in the 1960s represented a conflict between local officials who enforced strict racial segregation and civil rights activists who sought to end these practices. On one side, Mayor Boutwell, a symbol of local authority, was willing to meet with people of any color as long as they were local, suggesting a form of segregation that excluded outside influence. On the other side, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) launched nonviolent protests to confront segregation directly, culminating in the violent police response commanded by Public Safety Commissioner Bull Connor. Images of demonstrators, including children, being attacked by police with fire hoses and dogs provoked national outrage. This led to negotiations that ended segregation in the city and widened support for the civil rights movement, eventually contributing to the passage of civil rights legislation.