Birmingham campaign

====City reaction====
On April 10, 1963, Bull Connor obtained an [[injunction]] barring the protests and subsequently raised [[bail bond]] for those arrested from $200 to $1,500 (${{formatnum:{{inflation|US|200|1963|r=-3}}}} to ${{formatnum:{{inflation|US|1500|1963|r=-3}}}} in {{CURRENTYEAR}}). Fred Shuttlesworth called the injunction a "flagrant denial of our constitutional rights" and organizers prepared to defy the order.  The decision to ignore the injunction had been made during the planning stage of the campaign.<ref name="Bass_2">Bass, p.&nbsp;108.</ref>  King and the SCLC had obeyed court injunctions in their Albany protests and reasoned that obeying them contributed to the Albany campaign's lack of success.<ref>Eskew, p.&nbsp;238.</ref> In a press release they explained, "We are now confronted with recalcitrant forces in the Deep South that will use the courts to perpetuate the unjust and illegal systems of racial separation".<ref name="Bass_2"/> Incoming mayor [[Albert Boutwell]] called King and the SCLC organizers "strangers" whose only purpose in Birmingham was "to stir inter-racial discord".  Connor promised, "You can rest assured that I will fill the jail full of any persons violating the law as long as I'm at City Hall."<ref>Eskew, p.&nbsp;222.</ref>

The movement organizers found themselves out of money after the amount of required bail was raised. Because King was the major fundraiser, his associates urged him to travel the country to raise bail money for those arrested. He had, however, previously promised to lead the marchers to jail in solidarity, but hesitated as the planned date arrived. Some SCLC members grew frustrated with his indecisiveness. "I have never seen Martin so troubled", one of King's friends later said.<ref>Bass p.&nbsp;109.</ref> After King prayed and reflected alone in his hotel room, he and the campaign leaders decided to defy the injunction and prepared for mass arrests of campaign supporters. To build morale and to recruit volunteers to go to jail, [[Ralph Abernathy]] spoke at a mass meeting of Birmingham's black citizens at the 6th Avenue Baptist Church: "The eyes of the world are on Birmingham tonight. Bobby Kennedy is looking here at Birmingham, the United States Congress is looking at Birmingham. The Department of Justice is looking at Birmingham. Are you ready, are you ready to make the challenge? I am ready to go to jail, are you?"<ref>Eskew, p.&nbsp;221, Bass</ref> With Abernathy, King was among 50 Birmingham residents ranging in age from 15 to 81 years who were arrested on [[Good Friday]], April 12, 1963. It was King's 13th arrest.<ref name="newsweek4-22" />