Mass Protest March 26, 1966

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The Fifth Avenue Vietnam Peace Parade Committee was a consortium of multiple organizations that were advocating for peace and an end to the Vietnam War in the mid 1960s. The March 26, 1966 protest was conducted not just in New York City but—which had protesters numbering over 20,000—across the United States. According to the New York Times, protests in Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Detroit, Washington, and many other cities spanning the nation occurred the same day. 

There were a number of protests for peace, including rallies and sit ins, throughout the duration of the Vietnam War. The anti-war movement was bolstered by college students, but had broader reach due to the unpopularity of the draft, which impacted approximately 40,000 men each month. Protests increased as the war continued, including in Washington, D.C. at the Capital building and outside the White House. The Vietnam War ended in a cease-fire in 1973 after massive public outcry and anti-war sentiment, with long lasting harm to the Vietnamese people and to American veterans.