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A Vietnam War Report Crocker snow speaking on Saturday a mass demonstration of the spring mobilization to end the war in Vietnam was held simultaneously in New York City and San Francisco some 20 bus loads of people as well as countless others by car plane west from Greater Boston at 5:30 Saturday morning to join the demonstration. I was aboard one of these buses as an observer. This program is not a comprehensive report on the objectives and effects of the demonstration. Rather a potpourri a kaleidoscope of impressions and reactions recorded on the scene. Its almost new now. And this. Massive demonstration of the spring mobilization and the war in Vietnam is about to get underway. For that story our march to the United Nations. It's impossible to. Estimate how many people are here. For. My. City tomorrow. There are people. Shoulder to shoulder mass in every. Space in the
entire meadow as far as the eye can see covering 10 or 12 or maybe 15 acres. It's an amazing gathering of people of every sort and description. In a tree limb just off my left hand shoulder is one of the Sioux Indians who is here. To protest against the treatment of the Indians. And. The immorality of American actions in Vietnam. This. Field of Vision is just a sea of. Bright white and yellow and red signs. The rest of the signs of the students. Draft Beer not me. The signs of the Civil Right us. No Vietnam ever called me a nigger. And of course the signs of the committed. Against our actual Vietnam attack poverty not people in Vietnam. March is about to get underway the chants are beginning. To the end of the five. A group. With burning American flags six or seven American. Flags.
Carrying Vietcong flags phalanxes around through the crowd. Any attention grabbers of course. It was a cold overcast day in New York. The turnout was large. Just how large is not known. The New York police figure of a hundred thousand was quoted by The New York Times. Martin Luther King claimed 300000. The Saturday afternoon edition of The New York World Journal Tribune headlined 400000 people came in buses from as far away as Florida Chicago and Kansas City in Toronto. There were the old and the young the firman the infirm the black and the white the hippies in the square. Wow wow. Oh yes.
I am. So many. As the Babson moved out of. Sheep's park Sheep's Meadow here in Central Park towards the UN. The various signs awaiting one of them is a. Reproduction of Picasso's massive work when it got out by two students on the back of it is. One of a number of. Other Simon I see here says. Problems not. Science held by. Representatives from virtually every college on the East Coast. Every 10 to 12 or 15 person is holding a sign or a boy. Or else a small child on their shoulders.
I'm just standing by a large bright sign bed sheet as a virgin. For me. I don't care and. I guess I'm down. We believe in the peace movement has changed from an. Intellectual movement to an anti intellectual that has lost the objective purposes behind it. We feel that the blame belongs on both sides and that you can't go. You. Can't. Assume that the United States is alone responsible. You must assume that everyone is responsible for what us the virginity of men have to do with. Your right. To impose even. Partial attention attracting. This is completely subjective I think it should be up to the individual to see in the sun what they want to say. What's that got to do with the demonstration. Well let me put it this way maybe it has nothing to do with the demonstration. Perhaps you could look at it that the demonstration has no purpose or objectivity in accomplishing the goals that it set out to do originally. Maybe the demonstration is far astray from the cause
of peace as the scientists from the demonstration. We have a traffic problem. Yeah but Rob what's what's this doing to Central Committee for countries whose objective and I'm doing good but sadly it's nearly flat and I have no word for I see what I said. Just show you how you can declare yourself as a CEO. Yes it's an information. Agency that counsels people CEOs and not on their rights and obligations under the law. But it's information agency rather than encouraging people right whereas you clearly. Are. A group of men carried a 20 foot model of a Yellow Submarine on their shoulders. It bore the symbol of nuclear disarmament on its conning tower. They were proud to point out that their submarine cost them just fifty dollars to build as opposed to a multi million dollar nuclear submarine. Another nautical angle was the expected arrival of the aircraft carrier wasp in New York on Saturday with a crew of some
3000 just back from the South China Sea. If the wasp didn't arrive the crew kept out of the way the attention seekers there of which there were hundreds did not nor could not cloud the real purpose of the demonstration. The gathering was to indicate the depths of public feeling against the war in Vietnam. And it was easy to see that at least in those who traveled from Boston the great majority were committed to sincere people rather than fun seekers. Of course a deterrent for any fun seeker from afar was that you had to pay his own way. Nine fifty for a round trip from Boston. I talked with many of these people riding down riding back in and out the markets. Amy Kaufman of Boston University was Representative let me lots Tell me about coming down here that you decided to do this for a long time. Yes I decided to take the bus. And what what is your motivation in doing this and this and we did this the better off you think this is a reasonable way to
express your. Yes I do because I feel that if enough people express a discontent something can be done to him. Let's. Take this was a typical crowd of Americans gathered. By its man to ever become a member of the newspaper's economy. Certainly you need some time students and I suppose. Many intellectuals have been present here including social outcast teachers professors and I think basically it's prime reason of many problems. It's inevitable almost an occupational hazard of such a demonstration that different groups will use the occasion and the attendant publicity for their own special purposes. The demonstration Saturday was no exception. L in Santiago Yes but what are you going to remember about it. Yes I know I am Puerto Rican a member of the movement for independence and we had to look at Brian Jeff in New York he was a national movement in Puerto Rico struggling for national independence the national liberation. What does this have to do with the war in
Vietnam was the first play we can see that they appear to be in Nam war. It's only a war just like the one that I have in our country 69 years ago when the US invaded our country and have being have remained here on now. Kind. Also what the recounts are drafted into the US Army to go on fighting purely working. We are probably in the colonial subjects you know Puerto Rico. I we also support to struggle for national liberation of the Vietnamese people. I've even drafted yourself. No I haven't. Why not. Well we have refused to be drafted. Puerto Rico 1000 young men have refused to be drafted in Puerto Rico and what has happened to NPR is being afraid to pursue it. The case in the courts because the masses I've joined to support people
refused to be drafted. You have been in Puerto Rico or in New York. And yet you term the American government imperialists as what you have the advantage of it by living here. While we have the advantage of being exploited here. And only made it at your own tarried not noise not that any economic forces that demean the fact that six hundred and fifty thousand Puerto Ricans leave in New York. There's anybody making over here now though. No people are not forced to leave but if they go back to Puerto Rico they don't have jobs to work. But the fact that they have the march began to form up and move out. I noticed a small band of Negro surveying the scene quietly somewhere nearby no where demonstrate they were dressed in black with a red and green construction helmets inscribed with the words. Are you from New York. Yeah. And what what is your group here. Says Mama when you're home and we're not a group. Number one individual.
Not individual. Mom mows the society and its society how people. Group. As an individual. Few individuals. Are not a group and out of. My mouth society. A group. Not a group but people who believe. In freedom. For black people. What what is your relationship to this demonstration that you just observers are you participating in a protest of hating. We are here because there are no black people in Vietnam. Then they are coke Asians. More black people are down in Vietnam. Then they are Caucasians we're born in America. I was born in Boston. Boston right. Did you ever serve in the military. I served in the military. If you call it so I thought I was serving. I refused to fight.
And when we were allowed to. He refused to fight so what did you do. Peel potatoes. I didn't peel potatoes I went to jail. He refused to fight as a conscientious objector on what grounds. I refused then to fight on the ground not a constant ejector. I don't reject fighting because fighting you must do NOT listen to us. But let's if you've got to fight fight for a cause. Don't fight. Just to be a savage. And you know I think that. American democracy is a just cause. No not in not when just to keep people you know eating dirt and rain and that's what their role is. A step in doubt the war in Vietnam. These people out here who are marching today. Could not you. But your name. My name is Charles X. Kenyatta. Charles X. Kenyatta. Right now is this member of the Black Muslims. Am i member of the Black Muslims. No I'm not a member of the Black Muslim.
Head of the Mau Mau society. How large is the Mau Mau society. Every black person you see is a mama. If the demonstration was used by radical elements on the one hand it was attacked and undermined by radical elements on the other fora Dhanam chairman of the Massachusetts political action for peace. Mass packs as it is known which organized some of the buses from Boston. Tell us about some peculiar experiences on Friday the day before the demonstration in the group's Cambridge offices. We were harassed all day long about every five to ten minutes. We would get a telephone call in the morning these calls consisted. Uniformly cause of people who had been told that our telephone number somebody's name but Tina at her or some other name like that wanted to buy either a Thunderbird an outboard motor or a tape recorder or any number of things like this and when we made it worry
about it some of them were very persistent one man for instance insisted that I should send her it was a pain condition low mileage and so forth. Roger should explain who grew techer is a prominent young student at Berkeley California who is an at and affirm commies never have his party has nothing to do with knowing she has nothing to do with mass packs. But she is a well known name. This gentleman who wanted to sell me as Thunderbird said that he had been given her name and his telephone number and was told that he was there and wanted 500 for late in the afternoon we began getting calls that really have a dirty nature. Ask me. If this was such a session or it was a farce I said to him he was. Had a very you know a filthy gravitation to it. About 6:30 last night the telephone rang and it was down to identify himself by name. I didn't take the car and I don't remember the name so I wouldn't want to quote it and he said that asked
if we had been harassed at all with telephone calls and we said yes we had and he then again if I am south as being a member of the John Birch Society who had initiated this harassment and he said after our and I were opposing opposition here and Boris why aren't any means available to you. If you have any trouble with the buses this morning getting some on yes buses were cancelled last night we didn't learn until this morning when they did not show up. And we telephoned to headquarters the pressure bus company we were told the two of them had been cancelled last night. So how did you get the people down here. Week they provided to our buses but there was a two hour delay and one and two bus loads of people were left in the pouring rain waiting for these buses to come. Mike how many people came from Cambridge approximately and the buses 695 people came from the buses alone I have no estimate and. Nor can I give an. Have the number of people who came in to try I would say at least. Five times. Many remain independent of the masses.
The police were everywhere evident. A sergeant said that 3000 were posted in Central Park alone to maintain order. Have you had any trouble yet. No no problem. How do you go about keeping these opposite faction as a party of course we do this and you try to talk to depending upon the circumstances. Well we haven't had any problems as we talk to Negro officer but a young Brooklyn boy and girl but he wanted them to throwing their sticks. They just look so you can carry with you know. You not to have sticks in a demonstration you are going to put this New York City or you are like you I think we don't have to show you the law in black and white just leave this thing here otherwise outside the park. I want you to have your choice and we like that. I can't you know they think it's a way to get your protest. What's called an outcome or a break. This is a
rather bad for the legal bureau said something a rash you know throw them away I will get them back. That's right you can if you want to do more than just do the prep work. What was the last time I am I am I an idea that we all have to have a fight with you are I am. Well the police argued with a young Brooklyn couple over the sticks a small crowd began to gather. Soon a coordinator of the march appeared to try to prevent trouble is more dangerous than if I have them and I'm going to go with you you know you're going to be a wrecker were I will be rethinking this is the ruling of the he says it's a New York state law. Well maybe he was already breaking any of that it is that in New York state law is not with. But I don't
we can't we can't afford to. Travel for you it's not my intelligence I'm not going to get people on the stand I know you want. Remember me I'm the one you wanted to listen to New York state law now when I launched. The Make mean with the I've heard this one five times they did it they are not allowed. That they regulate a lot of them you know. The march was supposed to step off at noon from Central Park. Some of those gathered never left the park until after 4:00. There were too many people a long line of 16 or 20 or even 30 abreast. It was slow going much too slow for a group that I spotted at the corner of Central Park on the Seventh Avenue the yearth.
Have. Was. Was. Have your cameras was screaming after I was. Back at it I was having. Was. Waving goodbye. Want to make an offer I have was. Far. From it. At this point in the proceedings this is about two o'clock in the afternoon. Tens of thousands of people have broken off the tail end of the march. Going down Seventh Avenue. To the United Nations. Rather than the
normal route. And I'm I just don't progress through Central Park. Tens of thousands of people there but. The main freight itself. Is still proceeding down the center of the fight. And it shows a tremendous number of people and the police are now trying to control this mob streaming down 7th Avenue. They didn't anticipate and are now trying to keep them on one half of the road. Map. Now this crowd streaming down 7th Avenue. Walking with them is going to tie up traffic. As one man with. Waiting out his window no shirt on waving a yellow sheet putting on the cowboy. They. Say somebody turns off. Way on a second Street. It's now possible. To distinguish between the observers and the participants for the
first time. Sidewalks of Forty second Street a crowd of people some of them heckling the marchers. Others just watching if I awake. In the marshes of South Bend down considerably. Ok I am and I have. No. Doubt that is walking away from the designated. An hour. I'm having a party Saturday. We set up a barricade. I'm beginning to exert some sort of crowd control.
You're in a furnace or you're. The police of successfully defuse this branch of the marsh now by a series of reckless people sacrificing the opposite direction of the gathering in front of an Irishman a synthesised abbreviated version of this episode of course. But by the time that this large group ten thousand or more had followed this artificial circle getting back to the main march most were tired and bone weary and hungry and the side streets into the U.N. Plaza by this time were jammed. Forty fourth forty fifth Forty sixth and forty seventh It was impossible to work into the plaza to even see the speakers stand to hear it. Most had to resort to portable radios. Martin Luther King.
A curious thing but many of the restaurants and cafes near the U.N. Plaza were closed. I had to walk almost four blocks with others up to Lexington Avenue to find a cafe that was open. It was chock full of nuts. One owned by Jackie Robinson. Perhaps the cafes were worried about the trouble but they lost lots of business in the bargain. By 5:30 the gathering was beginning to break up and it was possible to work into the U.N. Plaza where Reverend Bevan was on the speakers stand on the other the Myan. The and the other members. Of the. The.
The the. It was. Your theory. We want to say I was. There. The marchers were still entering the Plaza the rain to first in little drops. Martin Luther King it was reported to have left the speakers stand when Stokely Carmichael appeared. The last talk of the day was a short one. Was.
To it a rude interruption as a real downpour suddenly hit the U.N. Plaza was a rush in the rain. It was quite a sight at Shea Stadium home of the New York Mets in the early evening. Dozens and dozens of buses from all over the country were lined up in the parking lots police boxes were set up to direct people to their particular bus headed in their particular direction. Wet tired demonstrators streamed off each subway that came along and collected in the gathering dusk awaiting their ride home. You come from. Cambridge came from Harvard. Yeah. What did you think of the demonstration. First of all it was poorly organized from the standpoint of the market. Second of all it was not a unified purpose. Behind the markers.
And. Third of all I lost my girlfriend in the middle of it. And this is your girlfriend here. Yes it is I want you what did you think of it. Right after the first three after we got out of the market and. Saw how many people there were when you're marching you have no idea how many there are. And it's the first one of these demonstrations like this that you participate in and. Again I've never done anything wrong. And you're happy that you did it. Now that I've been getting canned. Right again now. That you think the main effort here was protesting the war in Vietnam or did you think there are a lot of factions and I bet the majority of the people here were here for a spectacle rather than having an ax to grind. But. Considering your point I'd say that there were many factions. Rather than. A unified protest of the Vietnam. War because the first one of the sort of thing that you got yourself. Into any more. Than if they involved walking 20 miles to.
My job by the way your boss now is gone I don't know where they should have been in front of the UN at 6:30 even now it's 7:30 and I'm not here out of Shea Stadium. How about yourself. Why were you disappointed in the demonstration. I had my finger I guess right. It's. Like. These people had come not knowing what to expect. They were disappointed. The march for them lacked a certain cohesiveness and sincerity compared to what they had hoped for. But this of course was merely two couples reactions others more committed perhaps were more satisfied. A group of Harvard students members of the National Students for a democratic society. As we waited in the Boston bound bus. I'm glad I'm a good man I'm glad that with this many you know it's not like this really help you. When you get a lot of product out there I don't know but I don't know jack shit and I'm sure you're not going to listen.
But I'm really afraid he's not going to want to meet you for the $40. Now can we learn economics. There are many many more you know and I think I might convince people like you to hear their reactions to the demonstration then. We're almost as buried as the crowd of people who gathered it's effect can only be measured in time. This is Crocker snow inviting you to listen again next week at the same time to Vietnam war report.
Series
Vietnam War Report
Episode
New York City Anti-War Demonstration
Producing Organization
WGBH Educational Foundation
Contributing Organization
WGBH (Boston, Massachusetts)
AAPB ID
cpb-aacip/15-68kd5g7n
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Description
Series Description
Vietnam War Report is a weekly show featuring news reports and panel discussions about specific topics relating to the Vietnam War.
Created Date
1967-04-17
Genres
News
Topics
News
War and Conflict
Media type
Sound
Duration
00:29:32
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Credits
Producing Organization: WGBH Educational Foundation
Production Unit: Radio
AAPB Contributor Holdings
WGBH
Identifier: 67-0065-04-17-001 (WGBH Item ID)
Format: 1/4 inch audio tape
Generation: Master
Duration: 00:29:30
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Citations
Chicago: “Vietnam War Report; New York City Anti-War Demonstration,” 1967-04-17, WGBH, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed March 28, 2024, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-15-68kd5g7n.
MLA: “Vietnam War Report; New York City Anti-War Demonstration.” 1967-04-17. WGBH, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. March 28, 2024. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-15-68kd5g7n>.
APA: Vietnam War Report; New York City Anti-War Demonstration. Boston, MA: WGBH, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-15-68kd5g7n