Hell’s Angels celebrates 50th birthday

“Even with members old enough to collect retirement pay, a party at Hells Angels headquarters is no party for the police. As the Oakland club plans to mark its 50th birthday this weekend, police were putting extra officers on duty Thursday even as they downplayed the chance of trouble. The Oakland chapter is best known for providing security at the 1969 Altamont Free Concert during which a fan was killed by a Hells Angel as the Rolling Stones performed. Police expect up to 800 bikers to attend the event that kicks off with a concert today. The group has secured permits, and police will patrol. The Hells Angels were formed in Fontana in 1948. The Oakland chapter was created in 1957. By the 1960s, the club had become synonymous with the outlaw biker counterculture. Today the group organizes motorcycle runs all over the world and takes part in charitable events such as Christmas toy drives.”