For those who were there for the 60s and early 70s protests . . . . .

[Stinky The Clown]

. . . . what is your recollection or size and participation.

I recall there being LOTS of protests. College campuses tended to be the venues. Some were larger events in cities. What I don't recall is anything of the size of today's events. I think it is possible that, in aggregate, the participation in the 60s involved more people, but I recall NOTHING like this.

We did the Million Mom March on Mother's Day in 2000. That was about gun violence as much as anything. It was, for us, at the exact same location as today's DC event. It felt big in the moment, but compared to today it was sparse.

Today was massive. Am I misremembering the 60s?

[DUgosh]

1. I'm old

Nothing has ever compared to this today. Not even close.

[rzemanfl]

2. Couldn't count through the tear gas. Madison, WI 1968-1971. n/t

[Greybnk48]

17. Ha! My friend has scars from the bites of a police dog in Madison.

He too talks about the abundance of tear gas on that campus. It is my campus too, but for grad school years later.

[rzemanfl]

18. Don't get me started on tear gas stories. n/t

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. There were a lot of them but I don't remember any this large.

[gwheezie]

4. I've never seen anything like this

The civil rights & antiwar movement started small & was regional or limited to college campuses or churches originally it took years for either to become national & acceptable to most of America. Initially the protests were considered fringe & commie. This today was all over the world, it was all over the country, it was all at once.

[Warpy]

5. In October, 1969, there were over 100,000 of us on Boston Common

followed by five times that many shortly afterward in Washington DC.

I also remember some of the Civil Rights demos in DC being that large.

However, today was remarkable not only for the size of the DC march, but the size of the protest worldwide.

[Peacetrain]

6. I don't remember anything this large and massive

[msongs]

7. cuz of the draft the atmosphere was more dangerous at many protests...more violent and not

just from the police side. nothing like being sent to die in a useless war to agitate people

[dhol82]

8. Still remember a march up Broadway (NY) sometime in 1968-69

Seemed huge to me but I was young and this was my first march.

[onenote]

9. the November 1969 Mobilization/Moratorium March in DC was enormous

At least 1/2 million.

[DURHAM D]

10. Never anything like today.

I was at a local march and was stunned when I got home about 5:00 EST and turned on the tv.

Now we need the right person(s) to become the voice/face/leader of the movement. It should not be an elected official. Michelle Obama would be great but I think she wants some time off.

[GP6971]

11. Saw the protests both

on my college campus and in the streets of NYC. But have never seen anything in this scope.

[braddy]

12. I don't know about crowd sizes, but I was arrested in the biggest mass arrest in American history.

D.C. in 1971, almost 13,000 arrested.

[charlyvi]

13. MLK Jr.'s I Have a Dream Speech

delivered at the Lincoln Memorial 8/28/63; 250,000 civil rights protestors in attendance. Not as big, but a cornerstone of the civil rights movement. Very, very powerful.

[jalan48]

14. The protests were smaller and more contentious with a big police presence as I remember.

Many people supported the Vietnam War (Humphrey did and he was our candidate in 68). The sense of death was more immediate also as there was a war going on where young men were getting drafted against their will.

[JohnnyLib2]

15. Went to some large ones in San Francisco--

None of this size, though.

[msongs]

16. and no single day with so many marches going on the same day around the country nt

[PlanetBev]

19. I was in college in 1968

Been to many protests. I was in downtown Los Angeles yesterday. Took 45 minutes to find parking in North Hollywood, 7 blocks away, 45 minutes to get train tickets, 45 minutes on the train platform, and 45 minutes to get down there. The Metro trains were packed like sardines.

I was greeted by the largest, most joyful and helpful crowd I've ever marched in. Men, women, boy and girls, infants and dogs. Singles and families.

It was amazing!

[bluecollar2]

20. not here in the sixties and the 70's are hazy...

But I think you're right....yesterday was epic in terms of the ramifications...