The Militant(logo) 
    Vol.61/No.18           May 5, 1997 
 
 
25 And 50 Years Ago  
May 5, 1972
NEW YORK, April 23 - Antiwar demonstrators, their number estimated at more than 100,000 by the National Peace Action coalition (NPAC), thronged midtown Manhattan yesterday in the largest antiwar demonstration New York has seen in three years.

Undeterred by the cold, steady rain and despite a virtual news blackout on plans for the demonstration, protesters began assembling across the street from Central Park as early as 9 a.m. Thousands waited in nearby restaurants, under awnings, and in doorways until the march began. Others huddled under umbrellas, made paper rainhats, or poked holes in big plastic garbage bags to use them as raincoats.

Although most of the marchers were young, there was plenty of diversity. A contingent of more than 200 came from Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood, N.J. It included 30 members of the school band. Another group brought along two drums, a tambourine, and cymbals.

LOS ANGELES - Led by a contingent of Chicanos, thousands of people joined in a march and rally here April 22 against the Vietnam war.

As they marched down Wilshire Boulevard, longtime residents agreed it was one of the largest antiwar demonstrations ever held in this city. It was comparable to the Chicano antiwar moratorium held here in August 1970.

There was a broad range of constituencies represented in the line of march.

In addition to the Chicanos, there were Asian-American, Black and Armenian contingents.

There was a women's contingent, a gay women's contingent, and a gay men's contingent.

May 3, 1947
DETROIT, Apr. 24 - In the biggest demonstration of labor's power in this industrial citadel, more than 275,000 white and Negro workers, men and women from office and factory, led by the CIO, but including many members of AFL, railroad unions and independents marched into Cadillac Square this afternoon, jamming all the streets for blocks around.

The shutdown of the auto plants was complete. The local capitalist press admitted that 500,000 workers left the plants at the appointed hour, striking proof of the virtually unanimous support of this demonstration.

The massive demonstration was imbued with the consciousness of the great need for labor unity to hurl back employer attacks. Many placards called for "Labor - CIO, AFL Independent Unions - Fighting Together." One of the biggest ovations came after a reference to the need of unifying all labor. Recognizing this need, other placards supported the coal miners: "Stop Murder of Miners - Human Life Before Profits."

In memory of victims of the Centralia, Ill., disaster, the assembled thousands maintained a thirty second silence.

This most massive worker's demonstration in Detroit's history adjourned with the singing of the union's traditional song, "Solidarity."

But this did not terminate the demonstration. Many thousands then marched over to the Bell Telephone Co., forming a huge picket line, in solidarity with the striking telephone workers.

Other thousands lined the streets to witness this mass demonstration of solidarity in the face of which the cops preferred to remain quietly in the background. It was truly a revival of the "Spirit of 37" for which many banners called.

 
 
 
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