The Vietnam War was protested by Americans throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s. Several protests occurred in Schenectady. Usually college students and other young people were the most active in protesting the United State’s participation in the war, mostly out of fear that they may be drafted.

The Dow Chemical Company, a leading napalm manufacturer, conducted interviews at Union College on February 22, 1968. Students were against this because the Dow Company had a role in bombing Vietnam. About twenty-five Union College students conducted a peaceful demonstration at the Wells House on the college’s campus. They attempted to get signatures for a petition protesting the actions of Union College administration, certain members of the national business community and the federal government. The petition stated that by allowing Dow Chemical Co. To have on-campus interviews that the college was in the position of overlooking the company’s part in killing Vietnamese people. The demonstrators protested against the "killing of innocent people" and objected to "the government policy of aggression in Vietnam". There was also a small group of students who were supporting the Dow Company and the use of Napalms in Vietnam. The counter demonstrators had signs saying "Burn and Win" and "Napalm is good for the Viet Cong".

A moratorium day was planned October 13-15, 1969 throughout the country. Union College was one of the 500 colleges nation-wide that planned to participate in this event. The evident suspicion of President Nixon’s plans made more people take action with the antiwar movement. A march in downtown Schenectady, canvassing, and an afternoon forum were some of the planned events. The march was to proceed near State Street and Nott Terrace. Canvassers were also going to be passing out informative fact sheets on the Vietnam War. On October 13^th, there was an afternoon forum planned discussing both sides of the war. Two films were also shown. Mark Merson, vice president of the Student Social Action Committee, sent letters to faculty members at local colleges requesting that they would encourage students to skip class and attend the moratorium.

About 3,000 protesters marched in Schenectady peacefully protesting the United State’s involvement in the Vietnam War on October 15, 1969. Approximately two-thirds of Union College’s student body participated in the march. The demonstrators were carrying placards bearing "Stop the Killing". The march overall was quiet and peaceful. The Schenectady Police Department was praised for giving the protesters good protection and cooperation. A total of about 30,000 fact sheets on the war were distributed to local residents. A fifteen minute silent vigil, protesters scattered to neighborhoods to get signatures for a petition to be sent to President Nixon. Allen Brick, a Fellowship of Reconciliation representative, returned from South Vietnam. He spoke to the crowd in front of Nott Memorial. He was investigating South Vietnamese prisoner camps. He claimed that there were way more than 3,000 political prisoners in Vietnam. He stated that he would call on President Nixon to give the South Vietnamese government 60 days to free political prisoners. He also said that if no action is taken by the Vietnamese that President Nixon should force the creation of an interim government and withdraw United State troops.

On May 1^st, 1970, another march was led by Union College students who were protesting President Nixon’s decision to bring United State troops to Cambodia. Union students were mad at Nixon’s decision because he was ordering bombing near the South Vietnam border. Union College’s president, Dr. Martin, told the students that he had canceled all morning classes for a morning rally. Later that day, nearly 600 students marched through downtown Schenectady and held up Erie Boulevard and State Street intersection at noon time. Then students scattered to General Electric to protest their involvement in the defense of the United States, where they ended their rally. The students were seeking a college-wide student strike to dramatize opposition of the Vietnam War, especially the United States operations inside Cambodia.

Many college students disagreed with the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War. There were a lot of different demonstrations taken by the public to support the anti-war group. Many young people wanted to change that by participating in rallies and other types of demonstrations. Several of those rallies and demonstrations occurred in Schenectady.

Bibliography

Andrews, Paul. "3000 March, Canvass City on Moratorium Day." Concordiensis [Schenectady, NY] 17 October 1969.

Andrews, Paul M. "Viet Moratorium Planned: March, Forum, Films Set." Concordiensis [Schenectady, NY] 3 October 1969.

Isabel, Art. "Union Students Protest Cambodian Movement." The Schenectady Gazette 22 February 1969.

"Union Students March after Cambodia." The Schenectady Gazette 1 May 1970.

Yezzi, Dom. "2,500 in City March, Protest Vietnam War." The Schenectady Gazette 16 October 1969.