Mark, Just want to correct your stating that the Vietnam Antiwar Mass Marches never exceeded 300,000 - 400,000.
As someone who participated and helped build the Vietnam Antiwar protests - there were several above 400,000 in number. The April 15, 1967 was the first above that number and after several more November 15, 1969 and the April 24, 1971. The massive turnout locally in the October 1969 Moratorium and the response to the Cambodia Invasion and Kent State student murders (followed by other college students shot) These were all above 400,000 - as was the June 12, 1982 anti-nuclear UN protest and the 2003 mass marches around the U. S. Invasion of Iraq. The PSL regularly distorts the actual numbers of participants - probably because of their influenced in "Stalin School of Falsification" and because their ultra-leftism is based on protests (placards and bus reservations) and not any long term working class based organizing in neighborhoods, labor unions, etc. They are oriented like the pacifists to "personal witness protests" and not mass mobilization of the working class. They require control over their "coalitions" instead of having a real coalition. Presently they are tailing after reactionary religious based money to keep appearing they are "growing". The awareness is growing against Israel and its zionist supporters (as Biden) and the growing revulsion being done to the Palestinians residing under continual harm. PSL is under illusions that most protesting the racism against Palestinian workers, is going to just join and follow "their leadership and views". After decades of just holding protests, making banners, perhaps that "strategy AND politics" - has not changed or affected the working class being exploited and harmed as needed. The Quaker pacifists just "witness" as PSL - but seems incapable of reaching out and truly working together in common purpose - and not focused at only "control" of a group, protest or movement. Sectarian politics with false reporting - to give hope for "the true followers" - to continue working for the leaders wishes. We saw this model of "work hard" and no questions. With the capitalists wolves as awful as they are - why can not people break out of the bubble of mindset control? ________________________________ From: Mark Baugher <[email protected]> PSL ups the crowd-inflation factor > On Jan 17, 2024, at 12:00 PM, Charlie <[email protected]> wrote: > > "Some 400,000 people gathered in Washington D.C. on Jan. 13 Activists shouldn't try to fool their movement, and my suspicion is that they are vastly exaggerating the number. I say that because the last two marches/rallies were 300k and 400k, which exceed the peak size of crowds at the largest protests during the US Civil Rights and Vietnam Antiwar movements. Mark -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#28529): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/28529 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/103794305/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/8674936/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
