1967 March on the Pentagon
March on the Pentagon (1967)
In October 1967, a massive protest against the Vietnam War gathered in Washington, D.C. About 100,000 people attended, with around 50,000 marching from the Lincoln Memorial to the Pentagon.
The event was organized by the National Mobilization to End the War in Vietnam (Mobe). It drew a wide mix of people—students, clergy, and counterculture figures—and featured speeches by Dr. Benjamin Spock and performances by Phil Ochs.
As the march neared the Pentagon, soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division blocked the building’s steps. A dramatic moment came when Abbie Hoffman vowed to levitate the Pentagon as a symbolic gesture to end the war, with Allen Ginsberg leading chants to support the idea.
The confrontation lasted for hours. Some protesters tried to enter the building but were driven back with tear gas and force. The standoff ended around midnight, leaving about 47 injuries and roughly 682 arrests.
The March on the Pentagon became a landmark moment in the 1960s anti-war movement, shaping culture and politics. It helped fuel a wave of protest art and writing, and its striking images—such as a flower placed in a soldier’s rifle barrel—became enduring symbols of peaceful resistance.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 08:02 (CET).