Why Did The Protest Of The Vietnam War

The Vietnam War began on November 1, 1955. It was a long and costly conflict that brought the North Vietnamese government into conflict with the South. Many Americans opposed the war which in the long term divided them. However, others believed that defending South Vietnam from communists was in the best interest. In this essay we will discuss how the Vietnam War was protested, why some people protested it, and how poetry was used as an anti-war expression.

Vietnam War protests were very common throughout the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. There were many ways people chose to protest it in the U.S. Campus protests became very common. In October at least 35,000 demonstrators staged a national protest outside the Pentagon. It was known as the Pentagon riot and occurred on October 21, 1967. There were some who refused to be drafted so they retaliated. They would burn draft cards, flee to other countries, have marches about it or simply enroll in college to avoid the draft. Students for a Democratic Society also known as SDS organized “teach-ins” to express their opposition against the war. Other ways people protested the war involved marches and rallies.

Many Americans opposed the war on moral grounds as they were dismayed by the devastation and violence of the war. Although, others claimed the war was going against the independence of Vietnam. Other reasons included the fact of people feeling like it lacked objectives and was unwinnable. However, the antiwar movement grew into an unstoppable force. Many people protested the war by means of persuasion by the “Vietnam Veterans against the War.” They voiced their opposition among returning servicemen and woman. They persuaded people against the war by throwing away medals they had won during the