Vietnam War Protests Movement:
The Vietnam War was not always oppossed by a large population of American society. Initially, the war was only oppossed by pacifists and liberals. The first protest march for the Vietnam War occured in December, 1964. Only 25,000 people marched that day. As the war progessed, the tempers of Americans citizens shortened. People were disgusted with the alligations that American soldiers were using chemical weapons such as napalm and agent orange. The United States soldiers were also found guilty of torturing Vietnamese citizens and soldiers. Between 1963-1973, 9,118 men were dicsiplined for refusing to be drafted into the army. People would protest the war through a multitude of methods. Including burning their draft cards, involvement in marches, as well as burning themselves. Citizens in the United States were not the only people that oppossed the war. The soldiers themselves had their own views. Between 1960-1973, 503,926 soldiers deserted.
Causes of Vietnam War Protesting:
The war was not disliked by all when America first entered Vietnam. Through the years, as the amount of people being drafted increased, and alligations of American soldiers torturing innocent civilians, the United States people began to get annoyed. The most infamous event surrounding the American soldiers illegal involvement with Vietnamese civilians was the massacre at My Lai. 347 unarmed Vietnamese civilians were killed on March 16, 1968. The American public could not stomach the amount of American soldiers being killed weekly. In May, 1968, 562 people were killed in one week.
Forms of Protests (Course):
The Burning of Draft Cards- Beginning in May of 1964, American citizens began burning their draft cards in opposition to the war. 12 young men were the first individuals to participate in this form of protest in New York. People began to use this form of protest so frequently that a law was enforced to punish anyone that knowingly burned their draft card.
Marches- Marches were formed in the 60's and 70's to oppose the war going on in Vietnam. People walked around with posters stated "This is an unjust War", or "All you Need is Love". One march led from Wellingtons Victoria University in 1967 had college students carrying a coffin, symbolic for the amount of deaths going on. On April 17, 1965, the Students for a Democratic Society group led their first anti-war march in Washington DC (25,000 people participated).
Groups Formed- Many United States citizens began to form groups to acknowledge the terrible actions going on in Vietnam. On June 1, 1967, The Vietnam Veterans of War group was formed. Another group formed was The Youth Campaign Against Conscription. The Save Our Sons group consisted of mostly middle-aged women who wanted their children to come home from war.
Speeches: Anti-Vietnam war speeches were held at UC Berkeley on May 8, 1970. In 1965, Paul Potter, President of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), made a speech about the United States involvement in Vietnam.
Music- Many bands expressed their negative views of the war through music in the 60's and 70's.
Marches- Marches were formed in the 60's and 70's to oppose the war going on in Vietnam. People walked around with posters stated "This is an unjust War", or "All you Need is Love". One march led from Wellingtons Victoria University in 1967 had college students carrying a coffin, symbolic for the amount of deaths going on. On April 17, 1965, the Students for a Democratic Society group led their first anti-war march in Washington DC (25,000 people participated).
Groups Formed- Many United States citizens began to form groups to acknowledge the terrible actions going on in Vietnam. On June 1, 1967, The Vietnam Veterans of War group was formed. Another group formed was The Youth Campaign Against Conscription. The Save Our Sons group consisted of mostly middle-aged women who wanted their children to come home from war.
Speeches: Anti-Vietnam war speeches were held at UC Berkeley on May 8, 1970. In 1965, Paul Potter, President of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), made a speech about the United States involvement in Vietnam.
Music- Many bands expressed their negative views of the war through music in the 60's and 70's.
Politcal Consequences of Vietnam War Protesting:
By February 1968, a poll showed that only 35% of the population approved of President Johnson's handling in Vietnam. At this point, veterans of the war were coming home from their stay and began to form the organization Vietnam Veterans Against the War.The imgage of these soldiers throwing away war accolades they earned in Vientam gained more people for the anti-war cause. President Johnson would not run for reelection after the American public to a strong liken to New Hampshire democratic representative, Eugene McCarthy. Richard Nixon ended up winning the next presidential election and began to take more heat from the American public after the government established a draft lottery late in 1969(many young Americans fleed to Canada due to it). Then in May of 1970, the National Guard killed four Kent State students protesting the United States invasion of Cambodia. Intense war protests eventually caused Richard Nixon to end the United States involvement in Vietnam by 1973.