Intro- It was mid-spring in the United States Capitol- Washington, DC, the grass was green and onlookers could take in the view of the Washington Monument. On the specific date of April 17, 1965, the streets were not only occupied by historical monuments and statues of American History, but also occupied of 25,000 outraged protesters against the Vietnam War. This rally, organized by the Students for a Democratic Society, was the first significant act of defiance towards the Unites States Government.
And this act of defiance was the beginning of a societal trend of abhorrence towards the Vietnam War. An angered country, defiance in Society and opposition in many households, is just the commencement of the Antiwar Movement. * Anti-War Movement (Overview): 1. A country-wide disapproval of the Vietnam War. a. “We weren’t on the wrong side in Vietnam, we were the wrong side. ” –Daniel Ellsberg The most Dangerous Man in America.. b. Many Households disliked it because the number of people being drafted rapidly increased over two months and it affected them. . The deaths of the soldiers were twice as heartbreaking because they died in a war that their families disapproved of. 2. The Vietnam War was the first war to be played out in people’s homes (on their televisions and radios). d. Several different News Channels showed clips and photos taken by photographers and videographers in Vietnam. e. The general public couldn’t stand the realities of war, such as dying children and mass murders etc. f. This meant the general public scrutinized and judged it more often than previous wars. . It was even worse with the fact that most people didn’t see why the US army was involved in the first place * The Beginning of the Anti War Movement. * “Hey, Hey LBJ! How Many Kids Did You Kill Today? ” * * Celebrities and The Anti War Movement. * Muhammad Ali. * Muhammad Ali, the world heavyweight boxing champion, refused to even consider going to Vietnam in 1966. * Called him a draft dodger and traitor because he refused to go to Vietnam because of his beliefs. Muhammad Ali also tore up his draft card and other men had followed his footsteps. * As a Muslim, he held war to be against his religious principles. * According to an article written by Jack Olsen in Sports Illustrated, the Governor of Illinois found Ali ‘disgusting’, and the Governor of Maine said Ali ‘should be held in utter contempt by every patriotic American’. * An American Legion post in Miami asked people to ‘join in condemnation of this unpatriotic, loudmouthed, bombastic individual’. 2. * Washington DC Marches. April 17, 1965 * Organizers had expected about 2000 marchers. The actual count was about 25,000. * This was the largest anti-war protest to ever have been held in Washington DC at that time. * The number of marchers approximately equaling the number of US soldiers in Vietnam. * The college students’ main motive for this ‘gathering’ was to protest against the US bombing campaign. * November 27, 1965 * 35,000 anti-war protesters circle the White House then march on to the Washington Monument for a rally