Vietnam War Antiwar Movement National Antiwar Convention Poster New York Peace Action Coalition 1971 May Day Protest Aftermath

1971. New York Peace Action Coalition. National Antiwar Convention poster. 1971. Produced in the immediate aftermath of the May Day protests, this poster documents antiwar organizing at a moment of intensified confrontation between activists and federal authority, when mass arrests in Washington, D.C. drew national attention to draft resistance and civil disobedience. The poster announces a July 1971 convention at Hunter College dedicated to coordinating "fall antiwar actions," calling explicitly to "End the draft" and "Bring all the troops home now," and situates the event within a broader coalition of labor leaders, Vietnam veterans, and student organizers. It provides direct evidence of how antiwar groups mobilized after the May Day arrests, shifting from decentralized protest toward planned national coordination.

"Help plan the fall antiwar actions -- End the draft -- Bring all the troops home now-- National Antiwar Convention. July 2, 3 & 4, 1971. Hunter College, 68th & Park Ave. Rally Friday, July 2, 7:30 P.M. -- Admission $1.50." New York: New York Peace Action Coalition, 1971. Broadside poster measuring approximately 11 x 15 inches, printed on matte paper with a large blue peace sign dominating the composition, surrounded by black and eggshell text. The lower margin lists keynote speakers drawn from multiple sectors of the antiwar coalition, including Senator Vance Hartke of Indiana, labor leader Victor Reuther of the United Auto Workers, David Livingston of District 65, Vietnam veteran Bob Mueller, student activist Debby Bustin of the Student Mobilization Committee, and organizer Jim Lafferty of the National Peace Action Coalition. The typography emphasizes urgency and accessibility, combining bold slogans with logistical details such as location, dates, and admission cost, indicating a broad intended audience beyond established activist networks.

The May Day protests of 1971 resulted in the arrest of nearly 12,000 demonstrators in Washington, D.C., widely cited as the largest mass arrest in United States history, and prompted antiwar organizations to refine strategies for sustained national coordination. This poster shows that transition in practice, linking grassroots protest energy to structured planning through a multi-day convention that brought together political figures, organized labor, veterans, and student activists. Light edge wear; clean and well-preserved; overall very good condition. A focused example of antiwar movement print culture documenting how protest coalitions translated mass demonstration into organized political action during the final years of U.S. involvement in Vietnam.