The Counterculture 

Movement

On November 15, 1969, what is thought to be the largest antiwar protest in the United States took place in Washington D.C. Half a million people attended the mostly peaceful protest to question why the war was continuing. 

Antiwar politicians made speeches throughout the day in Washington. Those politicians included Eugene McCarthy, George McGovern, and Charles Goodell. Music performances were made by Peter, Paul and Mary, and Arlo Guthrie. Pete Seeger led the protestors in the singing of John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance". 

The reason the protest took place is because President Nixon promised troop withdrawal but after ten months of his term, people got impatient and decided to speak out against him. Nixon claimed he was watching sports on the television while the protests went on around his home. 

This protest proved to be very influential to the counterculture movement because it proved to the rest of the country that a lot of people want the troops home. Once the troops came home though, many of these same people treated them with disrespect and ignorance.