The Moratorium March

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Recommended: The Vietnam War’s controversy spurred a great many sources of protest

I. Introduction and Historical Context

On November 15, 1969, the Moratorium March against the Vietnam War commenced in Washington D.C. Pacifists and peace administrators carried banners which stated, ”A Calvinist for peace, No more war, We want peace now,” and some carried placards bearing the name of soldiers that had died during the war (Leen). The placards that had names of fallen soldiers were first used on November 13, 1969 during the protest called “March against Death.” Two days after this protest, the “Moratorium March” began. This was a massive march that consisted of over 500,000 demonstrators including pacifists, activists, college students and other organizations that were also against the war (March Against Death). The Moratorium March was an effective form of protest because even though the march did not change the U.S. administrator’s official Vietnam War policy, it was still seen as a success, with about two million people participating all over the world (War Protests). This march had effectively united people to protest against the Vietnam War and the violation of human rights.

Civil disobedience is a refusal to follow certain rules and is usually shown through a peaceful form of protest. The Moratorium March was somewhat a civil disobedience event because although it started as a peaceful anti- war movement, violence was unavoidable. The vast majority of demonstrators were peaceful; however, a conflict broke out at the Justice Department when demonstrator’s started throwing rocks and bottles, which the police responded to with tear gas canisters (Leen). According to Henry David Thoreau’s statement in his essay “Civil Disobedience,” “If the machine of government…is of such a nature that it requires yo...

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Works Cited

Krishon, John. “Vietnam Anti-war Movement makes History in Washington.” Suite N.p.,nd.

20 Apr. 2014

Leen, Jeff. "The Vietnam Protests: When Worlds Collided." Washington Post. The Washington

Post, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.

March Against Death" Commences in Washington, D.C." History.com. A&E Television

Networks, n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.

"My Lai Massacre Takes Place in Vietnam." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web.

27 Apr. 2014.

"The Antiwar Movement." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web. 27 Apr.

2014.

"The Wars Consequences." Digital History. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.

Thoreau, Henry David. “Civil Disobedience.” Handout. American Literature (Mrs.Gleason). Port

of Los Angeles High School. 7 May 2014. Print.

“War Protests.” UPI. N.p., 1969. Web. 24 Apr. 2014

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