Seattle's first major anti-war demonstration took place in October 1965, when around 400 people marched through downtown Seattle to protest increasing US involvement in the Vietnam War. Organized by the Seattle Committee to End the War in Vietnam (SCEWV) and the University of Washington chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), the demonstration marched down 4th Avenue from the Federal Courthouse to Westlake Mall. The protesters encountered hostile motorists on the march, and counter-demonstrators at the Westlake Mall rally.

Here, the demonstrators head down 4th Avenue, with a police escort on motorcycle alongside the marchers.

Protesters' signs: War is the Enemy. Save American Honor- Leave. Stop Mass Murder in Vietnam. Peace in Vietnam. Seek a Humane Solution to Conflict! Peace is the Only [...lter]. Defense Spending Destroys Security. Vietnam Needs Food Not Tanks. Pax. End the War in Vietnam Now. U.S. Get Out of Vietnam. U Thant Says U.S. People Not Told Truth. War on Poverty, No War in Vietnam! Support Peaceful Alternatives in Vietnam!

Caption information source:" Protesters march in Seattle's first major demonstration against the war in Vietnam on October 16, 1965" by Walt Crowley, May 22, 2003, HistoryLink.org Essay 4179