On this day in 1967, the biggest demonstration ever against American involvement in the Vietnam War took place in the town of Oakland, in California. An estimated 4,000 people poured onto the streets to demonstrate in a fifth day of massive protests against the conscription of soldiers to serve in the war. The city was brought to a standstill as protesters built barricades across the roads to prevent buses carry recruits to the Army's conscription centre. Police reinforcements came in from San Francisco as the protests turned violent. Demonstrators, many wearing helmets and holding plywood shields, overturned cars and threw bottles, tin cans and stones at the police. Four people were injured and seven arrested.
There was no repeat of the scenes three days before, however, when police in Oakland used clubs and chemical sprays to clear the streets. The heavy-handed treatment of demonstrators caused outrage throughout the country.
Today's demonstration was part of what was being called 'Stop the Draft Week' - a nationwide initiative which has seen peace marches in cities across the United States. It was expected to move to Washington DC the following day and demonstrators were said to be targeting all roads to the capital. It was thought up to 40,000 could join a protest march from the Lincoln Memorial to the Pentagon.
President Johnson was under attack from those who believed he was not being aggressive enough on Vietnam as well as those who thought he should withdraw.
A Gallup poll published earlier in the month showed his popularity rating plummeting to the point where if an election were held at that point in his term of office, he would have lost by a landslide.
Click on the video link below to watch a short clip of the demonstrations:
