OCR Text |
Show BY JAMES H. WALDO Wire Editor After almost a year of silence, the Student Mobilization Committee Commit-tee to End the War showed that, not only was it alive and well, but that it is stronger than it ever has been before. But more than just showing that the SMC is still alive, the demonstrations in Washington and San Francisco against the war in Indochina showed that all the minority groups in the United States can organize for a common goal. The size of the demonstrations was phenomenal in itself. In Washington, Wash-ington, the organizers of the march and demonstration claimed that there were at least 500,000 people involved, with the police admitting to 200,000 in an estimate esti-mate which they took early in the day. In San Francisco, the police estimated 156,000, with the press estimates closer to 250,000. Thus, it is possible that nearly a million people were marching and demonstrating demon-strating on a single day against the war. The demonstrations were entirely en-tirely peaceful. There were no outbreaks of violence, and the demonstrators even cleaned up the areas which they used. They listened to speakers, they heard singers, and they showed that they were united. It is this last feature which is the most spectacular. The demonstrators demon-strators were united. This was no large splinter group of white college col-lege students and professors protesting pro-testing the war. This was a coalition coali-tion of many, many groups. Admittedly, the majority of the demonstrators were white and young. But the other groups also sent representatives. In Washington, a coalition of the Third World marched with the main group. Labor Unions and teachers groups were also present, protesting for their own belief. In San Francisco, longshoremen and members of the Building trades marched along with students stu-dents from Berkely. All the groups were asking for one thing-peace thing-peace now. And the entire mood of the demonstrations was different. No longer did one feel that they were watching a small minority, desperately desper-ately trying to dramatize their cause. There was no desperation in the mood of the crowd-the mood was one of confidence. For no longer did they feel that they were a minority. With the numbers num-bers which were present, the feeling feel-ing could not help but be one of a majority. No longer was the purpose pur-pose dramatization. The purpose was to warn those who make the policy in our country that, if the direction of things was not changed by those presently in power, then those in power would be changed. But the demonstrations were more than just a show of opposition opposi-tion to the war in Indochina. The demonstrations were proof that the polarization which has taken place in American society is not yet complete, that different groups can unite to oppose or support something which they commonly wish. |