Despite the impact of the media, many
Americans supported the war due to patriotic
duty and a genuine fear of communism
The idea of 'my country wrong or right'
The media did lead to greater
questionin of the war in some
part of American society
The draft conscription into the
forces caused oppostion as many
young men didnt want to fight
Opposition also came from the
fact that richer, middle class
Americans avoided the draft, by
going back to college, gaining
medical disability certificates or
leaving the USA
All of these
aspects led to the
protest movement,
it came in different
forms.
Ripping-up draft paper
Creating anti-war slogans
Hey, Hey LBJ; how
many kids did you kill
today
Mohammed Ali lost his
title because he
refused to fight
Formation of the
Vietnam veterans
against the war group;
in 1967
Protests That took Place
Aug. 1968 - 10,000
demonstrators at the
Democratic Party
Conference, in Chicago;
the police used violence
to disperse them
Nov. 1968 - 35,000
people protested
outside the White
House
1971 - 300,000 Vietnam
Veterans took place in the
Vietnam Veterns agaisnt the
war march
Many wereinjured, and
wore their medals - when
they spoke out it had a
deep effect on Americans
Further protests were caused
by key events such as; the
invasion of Cambodia in 1970
and the trail of Lt. Calley
The protest
movement in Unis
The late 60's and early 70's was
a time when many young
Americans dropped out of
society and developed an
'anti-establishment culture'
Young Americans protested
against American Materialism
and in fvour of civil rights
Protested against the Vietnam war
as it was there age group that was in
the draft, as well as moral reasons
such as 'Make love not war'
Many protests were found
in the Unis, often on their
campuses but also in the
towns and cities
Some protests got out of control often
when they clashed with events in the
war, such as increased bombing, in
those cases there was often clashes
with police and the national guard
Protested by going on strike -
not going to lectures; burning
draft papers; sit-ins at draft
offices; blocking transport
routes that were used to
transport troops
Student protests
attracted media
attention and helped
focus the nations
attention on the war
Kent State
2nd May 1970 over 1,000 students demonstrarted
on campus and damaged one of the buildings
4th May more demonstrations
took place with more students
- the Governor of Ohio called
out the National Guard
Initially the National Guard fired Tear
Gas canisters into the crowd, but then
retreated when they ran out
Some students followed and began
throwing rocks at the Guardsmen
The Guardsmen then fired at the
demonstrators killing 4 and
injuring 9
Evidence later showed the 4 killed
were not part of the demonstrations