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By: HISTORY.com Editors

1965

Vietnam War demonstrations staged in 40 U.S. cities

HISTORY.com Editors

Published: November 16, 2009Last Updated: October 08, 2026

On October 15, 1965, antiwar activists stage demonstrations against the Vietnam War across the country, drawing 100,000 people in some 40 cities. In one event staged by the student-run National Coordinating Committee to End the War in Vietnam, the public burning of a draft card leads to the first legal consequences for the act.

In New York, David Miller, a young Catholic pacifist, burned his draft card in direct violation of a recently passed law forbidding such acts. FBI agents later arrested him; he was tried, found guilty and sentenced to two years imprisonment.

Chicago Seven

Historian Yohuru Williams takes a look back at protests during the Vietnam War.

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Citation Information

Article Title: Vietnam War demonstrations staged in 40 U.S. cities
Author: HISTORY.com Editors
Website Name: History
URL: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/october-15/first-draft-card-burned

Date Accessed: October 21, 2026
Publisher: A&E Television Networks
Last Updated: October 08, 2026
Original Published Date: November 16, 2009