You’re reading a story from Sidelines 100, a project showcasing a century of student storytelling at Middle Tennessee State University. Sidelines 100 plans to highlight 100 stories from the newspaper archives this fall and spring.
This story originally ran in the Oct. 19, 1970, edition of Sidelines. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay on top of all things Sidelines 100.
As preparations for the big march and rally on April 24 go into the final hours, action in the Spring Peace Offensive has spread throughout the city, and workers have intensified their efforts.
Vietnam Veterans Against the War continues to dominate headlines. This morning, 110 were arrested in a protest at the Supreme Court, where they demanded a session to rule the war unconstitutional. Eleven were arrested yesterday in a similar move.
Chief Justice Burger yesterday denied Veterans permission to camp on the Mall during their week-long stay here, but indications from the Justice Department today are that the veterans will not be removed. They camped out last night on the Mall without incident.
Throughout the week, veterans have been staging mock attacks and destruction missions at different points in the city, yesterday at the Capitol building and today at the Justice Department.
Reaction to their activities has been mixed.
Editor’s Note:
This story is the first in a series of direct coverage from Washington, D.C., of the Spring Offensive moratorium activities by SIDELINES on-the-scene reporters. This story was telephoned in at press time yesterday afternoon by Special Reporter Tony Pendergrass, who is working in coordination with the SMC News Service in Washington.
Leaders from nine different student groups held a joint press conference this morning at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, a few blocks from the Capitol Building.
The spokesmen for the various groups outlined their strategies for the next few weeks and reiterated their individual approaches to end the war now.
Also speaking at the conference were Debby Bustin of the Student Mobilization Committee (SMC), Frank Voehm of the Young Socialist Alliance, David Johnson of the Association of Student Governments, Barry Holtzclaw of the kelhammar ot Pressung Curion Liberation League, Bill Sloan of the College Young Democrats, and Kyle Neilson of the SMC News Service.
John O’Brien of the SMC Gay Task Force and Ken Miliner of the Black Mobilization Committee were also present but did not speak.
A speaker representing the National Peace Action Committee and Law Students Against the War was also present, but he was not identified.
U.S. Representative Bella Abzug (D-N.Y.) addressed the group. She admitted that it was true that “Congress has been fiddling while the nation is burning,” but stated that “the situation is beginning to change.”
Congressional hearings on the war will resume on Monday.
In response to a question about how many people are expected to participate, Debby Bus-tin of the SMC stated that such estimates are comparable to the war totals on nightly television reports.
“The numbers game is dehumanizing,” she said. “It is not just numbers we are stressing but the fact that there are more kinds of people involved.”
Nevertheless, SMC logistics based on confirmed transportation arrangements indicate at least 450,000 should be present for Saturday’s march.
More than 1,000 buses and trains have been organized by regional centers to get people here. In addition, mule trains, carpools, hitchhikers, and others coming on their own initiative have begun to filter in and should reach a head by Saturday morning. The march is scheduled to assemble at the Ellipse at 10 a.m., progressing down Pennsylvania Ave. past the White House at noon and reaching the Capitol steps by 2 p.m. for the rally itself.
Labor, Veterans, women, blacks, Gays, and various other interest groups have joined forces with student organizations. Washington, Maryland, and Virginia residents have opened their homes to students, with some families furnishing food and shelter for 30 to 40 people.
The Rev. Ralph David Abernathy, Indiana Sen. Vance Hartke, and Mrs. Coretta Scott King are among the national leaders who will address Saturday’s rally.
Training centers have been holding sessions to teach parade marshals the best ways to keep the activities peaceful. Also, provisions for medical attention, housing, legal assistance and other necessities have been made.
Certainly, no one can say what the outcome of the Spring Peace Demonstrations will be. Student officials are cheered by the large turnout and the diversity of involvement, but are not predicting what the President will do.
The general spirit seems to be that 73 percent of the American people can’t be wrong, but then someone pointed out at the conference that we did elect Nixon.
Nevertheless, this weekend, young people will again take to the streets in the high hopes of closing the pages of what they consider a shameful chapter of their nation’s history.
Spokesmen point out that these two weeks will not be the end of the new peace effort. “May Day” is scheduled here for May 1, and local and regional rallies are planned for May 5. After that, the plans will depend on the response of the White House, the Congress, the Supreme Court, and ultimately, that elusive silent majority.
Last year’s march on Washington brought between 300,000-500,000 protesters to the capital city to show their displeasure with the war policies. In the interim, there has occurred the Laos incursion and the Calley trial.
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