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Title on Reel (transcribed from original)
#2 Anti Vietnam [sic] - 15 May 70, Leaving Monroe Park + Capitol
Date Created
1970-05-15
Reel Format
16mm
Reel Description
This reel contains footage of individuals leaving Monroe Park, marching on Franklin Street, and at the Bell Tower on the Virginia State Capitol grounds on May 15, 1970 for a protest against the ongoing war in Vietnam. This appears to be a group of majority white participants.
Timestamp Description
00:00:08 Footage begins. Footage of marchers leaving Monroe Park, crossing Belvidere Street at Franklin Street, filmed from across the street. Some individuals wear white armbands with "Marshal" written on them, some others wear red armbands. One individual holds a two finger peace sign up to the camera. Vehicles pass between the marchers and camera. One individual stands on the corner at Monroe Park with a photography camera.
00:00:37 Marchers walk down Franklin Street between N Jefferson Street and N Adams Street. A sign for the Jefferson Hotel is visible in the background. One individual carries an inverted United States of America flag on a flagpole.
00:00:49 Footage of an individual leaning out the top floor window of a multi-story building, waving a U.S. flag. According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, this individual was a construction worker who took the flag from a marcher, the same flag seen inverted previously, and went into the building to yell at the marchers from above.
00:00:59 Footage panning the crowd at the Virginia State Capitol grounds, many sitting on the grass with others standing around them. Three Viet Cong/National Liberation Front of South Vietnam flags and another U.S. flag are visible being held by individuals in the crowd.
00:01:26 Footage of a banner hung across the doorframe of the Bell Tower on the capitol grounds which reads "Randolph-Macon Strike" with a red fist drawn on it. Several individuals sit on the stairs leading down from the door.
00:01:32 Footage of an individual standing at a podium in front of the Bell Tower building, with individuals standing and sitting near them. The wear a red button up shirt and gray pants. Loretta F. Johnson, an organizer with the Richmond Welfare Rights Organization, is sitting in a chair behind the podium, with others.
00:01:46 Footage of a flag being flown on a pole with trees behind it. The flag is black and appears to have a green cannabis/marijuana leaf in a red star on it.
00:01:49 Multiple clips of footage panning the crowd. Someone holds an inverted U.S. flag, three Viet Cong flags are also visible. A large portion of the crowd sits on the grass, with individuals standing around the perimeter. Many of those standing wear suits and ties, while those sitting wear more casual day clothes.
00:02:24 Footage of another speaker at the podium. They wear a blue collared shirt, a brown fringe jacket, brown pants, and smoke a cigarette. The camera pans right to show the crowd as well as two film cameras on tripods.
00:02:49 Footage of another speaker at the podium. They wear a striped short sleeve button up shirt and gray pants.
00:02:56 Panning footage of the crowd.
00:03:17 Zoomed in footage of several individuals sitting on the grass.
00:03:22 Footage of another speaker at the podium. They wear a white t-shirt, jeans, and red bandana around their neck.
00:03:51 Footage of grass and a shoe, it appears that the camera was running while it was not being operated.
00:03:53 Footage ends.
Event Description
On May 15, 1970, several hundred individuals gathered at the Virginia State Capitol Square to protest the ongoing war in Vietnam. The march was organized by the Student Peace Coordinating Committee. Before the gathering, some 300-400 individuals marched from Monroe Park to the capitol. Some carried Viet Cong/National Liberation Front flags, others carried inverted United States of America flags. Two incidents occurred during the march where observers grabbed flags from protestors. At the capitol, the crowd was mostly populated by students from Virginia colleges and universities, estimates put the crowd between 400 and 800 individuals. Many speakers urged the crowd to work "through the political process and peaceful demonstrations to expand opposition to the war". Named speakers included Reverend Curtis Harris, Norm Ornstine, Berry Rundquist, Yippie Mike Smith (member of the Oakland Seven). Ornstine and Rundquist voiced support for the McGovern-Hatfield Amendment (Wikipedia). According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, at the height of the rally, some 200-300 "business and professional men and office workers" encircled the rally, many wearing United States of America flag pins. Two individuals from the Nixon administration--Malcolm Roberts and Dave Fronhmayer--were listed on the program but declined to speak (Richmond Times-Dispatch, May 16, 1970).
Runtime
00:04:09
Topical Subject
Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Protest movements; Anti-war demonstrations; Demonstrations; Crowds; Student movements; Student protesters; Students--Political activity; Signs and signboards; Public welfare; Welfare rights movement; Anti-poverty movements; 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
National Priorities Day Protest in Richmond Film Reel #02, 1970 May 15
File Name
VCU_M571_132.mp4