By: HISTORY.com Editors

1967

Martin Luther King Jr. leads march against the Vietnam War

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Published: November 16, 2009Last Updated: May 28, 2025

The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., leads a march of 5,000 antiwar demonstrators in Chicago. In an address to the demonstrators, King declared that the Vietnam War was “a blasphemy against all that America stands for.” King first began speaking out against American involvement in Vietnam in the summer of 1965.

In addition to his moral objections to the war, he argued that the war diverted money and attention from domestic programs to aid the Black poor. He was criticized by some prominent civil rights leaders for attempting to link civil rights and the antiwar movement.

Timeline

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Citation Information

Article Title: Martin Luther King Jr. leads march against the Vietnam War
Author: HISTORY.com Editors
Website Name: History
URL: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/march-25/martin-luther-king-leads-march-against-the-war

Date Accessed: October 21, 2026
Publisher: A&E Television Networks
Last Updated: May 28, 2025
Original Published Date: November 16, 2009

Martin Luther King Jr. leads march against the Vietnam War

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Why the Battle for Hamburger Hill Was So Controversial

About the author

Fact Check

Citation Information