Many New Yorkers Supported The Vietnam War & Marched To Say So In 1967

It was the spring of 1967. Pro and anti Vietnam war protests were becoming regular events. This incredible clip was produced by Jean-Luc Godard, the prominent French New Wave filmmaker who made several films in the late 1960s that dealt with the Vietnam War. The video presents moments from a pro Vietnam war march called the “Support Our Boys in Vietnam Parade which took place on May 13, 1967, in New York City. As you can see in the video Mayor John Lindsay was there. Mayor Lindsay was known for his opposition to the Vietnam War, even within his party, the Republican Party. He had participated in an anti-war march down Fifth Avenue a month earlier on April 15, 1967 which drew tens of thousands of people. His opposition to the war was a significant part of his political stance at the time. Here is a clip from that march - The “Support Our Boys in Vietnam Parade,“ was a pro-war counter-protest against the April 1967 anti-war march. It was organized by the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion and the participants marched down Broadway in support of U.S. troops and policy in Vietnam. The rally attracted a crowd of around 75,000 people, including many veterans and their families. However this was significantly smaller than the anti-war protest in April, which drew an estimated 400,000 participants. Given Mayor Lindsay’s public opposition to the war, it is unlikely that he marched in the “Support Our Boys in Vietnam Parade.“ But as mayor, he felt responsible for ensuring the event proceeded peacefully and that the rights of the demonstrators were respected.