Give Peace A Chance
Many among the most radical 1970's anti-war protesters wanted to stage massive civil disobedience protests across the country and in the capital. But moderates cautioned that violence might ensue and further alienate a growing number of Americans who sympathized with the anti-war movement, though they increasingly objected to their sometimes violent tactics. In the Spring of 1970, over 200,000 marchers had come to the Washington Mall to protest the Cambodian offensive. As part of its 1971 "Spring Offensive," the National Peace Action Colition (NCPAC) was planning dual marches in San Francisco and Washington D.C. to urge an immediate withdrawal of all troops from Vietnam.
But despite NCPAC's peaceful aims, the People's Coalition for Peace and Justice and the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (including future Presidential candidate John Kerry) had different goals. The designs of some of these organizations and the volatile national mood, caused increasing concern among capital officials. The Interior Department denied a request by the Veterans to camp on the mall. But defiant veterans ignored an injunction and demonstrated throughout Washington for over a week. Clothed in army fatigues the veterans took to the streets and staged mock search and destroy missions. This so-called Spring Offensive also was marked by decorated veteran John Kerry's testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
And throughout the Spring these events were accompanied by a series of marches.The largest of these marches occurred on April 24. It was remarkably informal and unregimented. An eclectic group of almost a million marchers drifted down Pennsylvania Avenue for over four hours, chatting with friends, climbing on statues, smoking marijuana, and generally eschewing discipline. And unlike the well choreographed speech making of the Civil Rights March of 1963, the speakers and their speeches were in no particular order and often conflicted in message. Nonetheess, the media provided positive coverage and only later in the Spring Offensive did things turn to violence.