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Title on Reel (transcribed from original)
10-15-69, Peace March Monroe Park, City Hall, State Capitol, #3
Date Created
1969-10-15
Reel Format
16mm
Reel Description
This reel contains footage of individuals gathered in Monroe Park on October 15, 1969 for the Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam. Footage includes several at the Virginia State Capitol Building, the crowd of demonstrators on the capitol grounds, the crowd dispersing from the grounds, a smaller demonstration at Richmond City Hall, the crowd walking down Broad Street, and a small gathering at Monroe Park. This appears to be a group of racially diverse participants.
Timestamp Description
00:00:22 Footage begins. Filmed from behind the individual, a speaker talks into a microphone at a podium at the top of the stairs at the Virginia State Capitol building. A large crowd is gathered on the stairs and sidewalk below. The speaker wears a dark suit, glasses, and a kippah/yarmulke.
00:00:26 Footage of another speaker at the podium, they wear a black suit and blue arm band on their left arm. An individual with a photography camera stands to their right.
00:00:32 Footage of another speaker at the podium, they wear a red dress, a pearl necklace, glasses, and a hair covering that looks like holly.
00:00:37 Footage of another speaker at the podium, they wear a green jacket and glasses.
00:00:42 Footage of another speaker at the podium, they wear a gray peacoat.
00:00:50 Footage of another speaker at the podium, they wear a black suit, blue arm band on their left arm, and a clerical collar.
00:01:00 Footage of another speaker at the podium, they wear a black suit, and a white armband on their left arm.
00:01:05 Footage of another speaker at the podium, they wear purple or dark red suit jacket and sunglasses.
00:01:09 Footage filmed from the top of the capitol stairs of the stairs and sidewalk below, filled with demonstrators. Many look down at paper held in their hands. Some vehicles drive through the street clearing between the crowd on the stairs and on the sidewalk. The camera pans left to show the entire capitol grounds filled with individuals.
00:01:27 Individuals standing on the stairs and on the sidewalk raise their hands in two finger peace symbols or raised fist salutes.
00:01:35 Filmed from behind, footage of an individual laying down the microphone on the podium as others around them appear to prepare to descend the capitol stairs.
00:01:41 Footage of the crowd leaving the capitol grounds filmed from above.
00:01:47 Footage of the crowd leaving the capitol grounds filmed from the ground.
00:02:05 Footage of a crowd gathered on the steps and sidewalk of Richmond City Hall. An individual holding a United States of America flag on a pole stands towards the back of the group on the steps. An individual is partially visible speaking, the crowd cheers and some raise closed fist salutes.
00:02:14 Zoomed in footage of an individual wearing sunglasses speaking to the crowd. Another individual to their left speaks into their ear.
00:02:42 Footage of another individual, standing towards the top of the City Hall stairs, speaking. They wear sunglasses, a white turtleneck, a button up shirt, and a denim jacket.
00:02:52 Footage of another individual speaking, this is the same individual who spoke into the first speaker's ear. They wear glasses, a blue button up shirt, and a tan cardigan.
00:03:03 Multiple clips of individuals walking west on what appears to be Broad Street, with uniformed officers on horseback on the edge of the crowd.
00:03:18 Several individuals in the crowd hold closed fist salutes up towards the camera.
00:03:26 Two clips of footage of approximately two dozen individuals gathered in Monroe Park. It appears the sun is setting.
00:03:38 Footage ends.
Event Description
Held on October 15, 1969, the Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam was a massive demonstration and teach-in across the United States against the country's involvement in the Vietnam War. A large Moratorium March in Washington, D.C. was held a month later on November 15, 1969 (Wikipedia). In Richmond, police estimated approximately 2,500 individuals joined the protest. Others had the count at some 5,000 in Monroe Park. The morning of October 15, names of those killed in the war were read at the University of Richmond, followed by a similar event at the capitol in the afternoon (The Collegian, October 17, 1969). Discussions were had in Monroe Park before groups marched downtown to the Virginia State Capitol. Marchers wore black arm bands and peace signs. At noon, there was a "folk mass" at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. Named speakers included Herman Schmidt, Charles McLeod (mispelled McCloud in the RTD), Reverend James G. Carpenter, Dr. James H. Smiley, and Dr. Richard Lodge. Richmond Mayor Philip J. Bagley was quoted as stating he held the protestors "in utter contempt" (Richmond Times-Dispatch, October 16, 1969). Groups represented included Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and Richmond Mobilization Committee Against the War in Vietnam (The Commonwealth Times, October 17, 1969). After the protest ended at the capitol, some individuals returned to Monroe Park, while another contingent marched to City Hall. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported the crowd was "a mixture of welfare recipients and Virginia Union University students". Mayor Bagley agreed to meet with Loretta Johnson, chairperson of a local welfare rights group and member of the National Welfare Rights Organization (NWRO), as "an individual," but she preferred to meet in an official capacity and refused Bagley's invitation. A number of protestors entered the building and started a sit-in in front of the Mayor's office, and Bagley told Police Chief Frank S. Duling to "clear the building". When some 100 individuals did not leave, police called in reinforcements, including two dozen officers in helmets holding batons. When they arrived, the crowd inside left the building. The crowd tried to reform at Monroe Park, but few individuals arrived. The RTD does not name the welfare rights organization, but it was likely the Virginia Welfare Rights Organization (VWRO). The paper states this was the third day the group had visited City Hall in order to call for increased welfare payments (Richmond Times-Dispatch, October 16, 1969).
Runtime
00:04:28
Corporate Name Subject
Students for a Democratic Society (1969-1974); National Welfare Rights Organization (U.S.)
Topical Subject
Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Protest movements; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Draft resisters; Anti-war demonstrations; Demonstrations; Crowds; Student movements; Student protesters; Students--Political activity; Signs and signboards; Public welfare; Welfare rights movement; Clergy; Mounted police; Police horses; Animals in police work; Police; Police patrol--Surveillance operations; Electronic surveillance; Video surveillance
City/Location
Richmond (Va.)
Genre
color films (visual works)
Local Genre
moving image
Type
Moving Image
Digital Format
video/mp4
Language
eng
Rights Statement URL
Rights
This material is in the public domain in the United States and thus is free of any copyright restriction. Acknowledgement of Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries as a source is requested.
Collection
Richmond Police Department Surveillance Collection
Source
Moratorium Day in Richmond Film Reel #05, 1969 October 15
File Name
VCU_M571_121.mp4