The anti-war movement was at its height during the Vietnam War and contributed to some of the most influential movements in US history. Towards the end of this period, ideas that promote freedom and peace gained prominence among American youths. Anti-war ideas started long before the Vietnam’s War began. In 1966, with the start of the draft, these ideas strengthened to form a movement.

After the bombing of North Vietnam in 1965, professors and students are holding anti-war seminars instead of their typical teaching activities. The peace movement is also starting to have a physical presence on the streets of America. On October 21, 1967, a massive protest by more than 100,000 people took place. They marched on the Pentagon building and gathered at Memorial Lincoln. It’s been two years since that protest but there are still large shows of support happening everywhere. There are many theories about the what influenced the outcome and signature of peace treaties. One of them is that it was influenced by movements like in the media and anti-war movement.

Protests against the Vietnam War has been appearing in popular culture for years. One of the best examples is the movie Forrest Gump. He’s first drafted by the army, he goes to Vietnam and, upon his return, accidentally falls into a Sarlacc pit. Earlier on in the rally, one of the participants had spotted a solider with an award and called Forrest to speak. Leftist activist Abby Hoffman, a leader of the protests, drags Forrest onto the stage. He delivers a speech where the sound was not working and had to end with the words “That’s all I can say about the Vietnam War.”

Many anti-war films have been made, but Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket really stands out. The movie portrays the paradoxical relationship between war and the individual in a unique way. The recruits go through a brutal training camp and then the actual difficult battles. He doesn’t talk about the reasons for the Vietnam War but we can be sure any war is destructive.

Mass rallies weren’t only in response to the Vietnam War- there are a lot of other instances, such as 2003 when the biggest protest in world history took place against the war in Iraq. There is a long-time running theory that large scale action like this one was carefully planned by international networks of national public organizations.

The three largest protests recorded in Europe took place in Rome, with 3 million attendees and counting in 2004. It was listed as the largest protest against war, making it the largest such occasion it’s history spanning to the 20th century. The Green Left, a progressive Australian publication, described it this way: “Christian monks and priests walked alongside young people with multiple piercings and Palestinian scarves. Christians, anarchists, and communists mixed. The rally was organized under the slogan “Build Bridges Not Walls.”.

Five years after the end of the Iraq War, San Francisco hosted a peaceful commemoration as hundreds of pairs of shoes were displayed on the steps of San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral. Each shoe was meant to honor those who lost their lives in the war.

Einstein once said, “I don’t know with what weapons they will fight the third world war, but in the fourth they will use sticks and stones.” His words may best explain why many anti-militars have begun to oppose arms races. Activists in all parts of the world have been showing their disdain for nuclear weapons by taking part in large-scale protests.

The first use of nuclear weapons, “The Kid”, was dropped on Hiroshima in the 1930s. It led to the bombing of Nagasaki. This was the second time in history when nuclear weapons were used. All subsequent explosions after Hiroshima and Nagasaki have been part of atomic tests.

Events in Hiroshima and Nagasaki are still fresh in our minds. Every year, people from all over the world come to commemorate these events by taking part in memorials. In Hiroshima there’s a Peace Memorial Park, where people come on the anniversary of the bombing to reflect upon what happened at exactly this time.

There have been many demonstrations against nuclear weapons. For example, in June of 1982 there was a protest with over a million attendees at Central Park (New York) that’s considered the largest anti-nuclear protest in American history. This great march left from Los Angeles and finished in Washington, DC, to promote the idea of: peace. The march was an ordeal that went down in history. What was supposed to be a two-month journey turned into eight and a half months of non-stop walking. Books and documentaries have been written about the experience.

There were many protests in the UK in 2005 against a government proposal to replace the Trident weapon system with a newer model. The largest rally gathered 100,000 participants. So many people took to the streets thanks to the work of Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

Another important fact about the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is that it was founded in 1958 by artist Gerald Holton. His design of a special symbol for the Committee of Direct Action march against atomic war has become iconic. After that, the symbol began to be used by Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and in the 1960s it became the international emblem of anti-war movement. We are talking about well-known Pacific diacritical sign, which is now the universal symbol of peace.

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On February 7, 1986, Marcos was declared the winner of the presidential election. However, his victory was immediately questioned. At this point, the Catholic Church played a decisive role in condemning the election, as well as army officials who were planning a coup d’état.

Millions of people took to the streets at that moment to support the military. Tanks surrounded the capital against the president, and church representatives gave flowers and food to the soldiers.

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George Floyd died after a police officer knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes during his arrest. A video of Floyd begging for help and saying he couldn’t breathe quickly went viral. Within 48 hours of his death, thousands of protesters took to the streets of American cities. Protests took place in 75 U.S. cities and more than 4,000 people were arrested, according to CNN.

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President Bush had been claiming for months that Iraq was violating UN resolutions on weapons of mass destruction. Within days of the UN address in September 2002, calls for action against his policies began.

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His idea for a day of demonstrations to draw attention to the environment soon came to fruition. On April 22, Earth Day, more than 20 million people took to the streets in tens of thousands of places across the United States! The protests led to almost immediate changes in legislation: by the end of the year, clean air and water laws were passed, as well as laws to protect endangered species.

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