San Francisco Bay Area Protests Napalm
U.S. use of napalm bombs in Vietnam created outrage and shame across the country and around the world.
In 1966, Women for Peace, the Committee for Non Violent Action (CNVA) and other groups in the San Francisco Bay Area focused their protests on napalm and its use in the war in Vietnam. Harvey Richards filmed these protests. The above video presents footage from his film No Greater Cause along with photographs of the anti-Napalm protests that year. The protests occurred in San Francisco, in Port Chicago, CA, and in Redwood City, CA where napalm production and shipping was taking place. Young Tom Hayden and Bob Scheer spoke at the rallies. People who blocked roads were arrested and stood trial in Port Chicago in December, 1966.
“Napalm is a thickening/gelling agent generally mixed with petroleum or a similar fuel for use in an incendiary device, initially against buildings and later primarily as an anti-personnel weapon that sticks to skin and causes severe burns when on fire… From 1965 to 1969, the Dow Chemical Company manufactured napalm B for the American armed forces. After news reports of napalm B’s deadly and disfiguring effects were published, Dow Chemical experienced some boycotts of all its products, and its recruiters for new chemists, chemical engineers, etc., graduating from college were subject to campus boycotts. The management of the Dow Chemical Company decided that “its first obligation was the government.” Meanwhile, napalm B became a symbol for the Vietnam War.” From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napalm
Protesters in the Bay Area picketed, rallied, and blocked entrances where it was manufactured and shipped. Harvey captured these protests in his films No Greater Cause and Hot Damn!. The photos in the image gallery Napalm Protests, 1966 came from these events.
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