Mayday Riot of 1971--Washington D.C.

When looking back on Vietnam protest, the 1960s tend to receive the most attention; however, the Mayday Riot of 1971 holds a unique and pivotal place in American history despite being forgotten in most historical discussions regarding protest. The Riot, which has slowly been fading into historic obscurity, remains one of the largest organized acts of civil disobedience, even larger than protests organized by prominent civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. or Mahatma Gandhi. The protest, occurring prominently on May 1st but continuing in smaller numbers until May 3rd, also resulted in the largest mass arrest in U.S. history. 

On May 1, 1971, approximately 25,000 youths decided to and organized to blockade the entire city of Washington D.C. and shut the government down. This group of protesters, which organized and created an elaborate tactical plan, called themselves the Mayday Tribe. The protesters divided strategically to block roads leading into the city in whichever nonviolent way possible, including blocking vehicle with just their bodies. The radicals did not all remain completely nonviolent, with some using tree branches, trash, rocks, and other objects to prevent Government employees from reaching their work buildings. 

       The Mayday Tribes did successfully disrupt the normal city functioning; however, the police quickly became involved in arresting the crowd with force. In fact, some protesters were arrested even before they had managed to reach their assigned areas to blockade. By the first day, 14,000 police officers and National Guardsmen were mobilized and over 7,000 people were arrested, including one of the Mayday Tribe leaders and organizers, Renine Davis. The next day the arrested protesters were released by the Assistant Attorney General, Will Wilson, provided they forfeited a $10 collateral. Among the 7,000 people arrested were also bystanders caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Though opinions vary on the success of the Mayday Riot, the large scale and ambitious actions of the protesters did serve to unnerve and shake the Nixon administration. A few historians even believe the Mayday Riot may have led to a quicker U.S. withdrawal from the Vietnam War. The radicals did not stop on May 1st, however, some sources say the protests continued until May 3rd. Ultimately, by the end of the Mayday Riot, 13,500 people had been placed under arrest, the largest number in American history. Proud members of the Mayday Tribe held a 45th-anniversary reunion in 2016 and created a website and Facebook page to find members and celebrate the Mayday Riot.  

Photograph of protesters participating in Mayday rally, circa 1971. Image courtesy of wagingnonviolence.org.

        The aftermath of the Riot resulted in varying tales of success and failure. The general consensus among observers and historians is that the Mayday Riot was not a success. Even Renine Davis, one of the leaders involved in the riot, stated that the protest had failed. However, the extreme lengths many of the protesters went to express their opinion did seem to put more pressure on the Nixon administration. The innocent people unjustly arrested had a different view of the Riot. In some cases, the police’s extreme measures even resulted in lawsuits filed by bystanders innocently arrested. Two men were awarded civil damages after they were arrested and spent 20 hours incarcerated despite identifying themselves and demonstrating to a police officer that they were innocent during the Riot. The bystanders even claimed that the first police officer had accepted their explanation and had been about to release them, but a superior officer had ordered that everyone be arrested.

Photograph of police and National Guardsmen arresting protesters, circa 1971. Image courtesy of exiledonline.com.

In regard to Gaudium et Spes, the Mayday Riot of 1971 is a great example of citizens rebelling against a public authority that is believed, by the protesters, not to be competent in protecting the common good for all citizens. The organizers of the protest believed that taking down the government was the only way to stop the Nixon administration’s continued actions in Vietnam. The protesters were fighting for the rights of their fellow Americans losing their lives in a never-ending war. Some protesters even spoke for the innocent lives being lost in Vietnam. This ideal of fighting for human life and against an incompetent public authority make the Mayday Riot legitimate in the eyes of Gaudium et Spes. However, it’s important to mention that Gaudium would not support the violence that occurred during the Riot. Despite the argued unsuccessfulness of the Mayday Riot and some of the violent actions that occurred, it is important that the reckless, flawed and daring actions of the Mayday Tribe not be completely forgotten.

In a New York Times article, the Mayday riot is described and connected to other protests that occurred during the first week of May.