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The Vietnam War ProtestsBy Virginia MondaleWe started at the White House on a cold November day. People poured in from all directions, only to discover that President Nixon had ordered a ring of DC Metrobuses to park in a ring around the building, barricade-style. My first impression of the marchers was one of solid middle-class stability -- lots of grey heads and conservative, cloth coats. It could have been an academic gathering. Of course there was a sprinkling of noisy young people in much more "outré" apparel. But not a rebellious, demanding, vulgar crowd -- instead, the feeling of "this is what democracy is all about." In fact, when turned away from the White House, the group quietly headed over to the Mall in every-widening ranks, chanting anti-war slogans all the way. In a crazy way, the Mall seemed to fill with bodies as we marched. Before the days' events were over, the crowd (later reports said it was the largest in the Mall's history) (750,000?) resembled a moving body, headed towards the Lincoln Memorial. There were the usual speakers and music makers - Pete Seeger? Dr. Spock? Eartha Kitt? All whipping up the crowd to continue in their righteous cause. It was one of the most exciting times of our lives in Washington. Made you proud to be an American in spite of the cold shouldering at the White House. Later, upon reflection, I decided that our eldest son's dilemma at the time had probably summed up the national mood: He had played in the GWU band in the morning for Nixon's inaugural. In the afternoon he played in an anti-war demonstration. Late 60s - Resurrection CityLots of struggling with the National Park Service to permit the Poor People's March to take place on the Mall. It involved people from the deep South to march to Washington via a mule train. As I recall it, the NPS was not too keen on the idea, fearing that the mule trains and pitched tents might do too much damage to the turf. Organized by a group of Southern preachers in the months following King's assassination, the idea grew to encompass a large group of tents which would be called "Resurrection City." Led by Rev. Ralph Abernathy, the plan was to demonstrate the condition of poverty of southern Blacks tied to the rural economy there. George Washington University held seminars and training sessions for the group with many young white students helping to coordinate. It was a very motley crew, a very exciting group, and of course it had to take place on the Mall. The grass grew back. |
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