ABBIE HOFFMAN : ANTI-VIETNAM PROTESTS.
Abbie Hoffman was a social activist who publicised his conflicting views with regards to the war in Vietnam and gained a huge following as a result of this. He became the icon of anti-establishment behaviour during most of the 1960’s and for the duration of the Vietnam War in particular.
His involvement in political activism changed drastically after moving to New York and taking LSD for the first time. He became more active within the hippy movement which ultimately made his activism more radical.
Hoffman was the epitome of the rebellious youth culture synonymous with the 1960’s. His most famous protests include: throwing dollar bills onto the floor of the New York stock exchange and most famously, attempting to surround The Pentagon with protesters in an attempt to exorcize the building of all evil. Hoffman claimed that The Pentagon would levitate as a result of the protest in an attempt to attract mass media attention.
Abbie Hoffman’s politics had a huge impact upon the youth of the 60’s and early 70’s. His movement made young people believe that change was possible, that they were fighting for a worthy cause and that they had the potential to save lives. Young people had formed an identity through the anti-war movement. The ways in which they protested were tongue in cheek almost – But this is what made their activism so memorable. The anti-Vietnam movement that Hoffman was a key influence in is now one of the most memorable counter-cultural movements in history.
Opposition to the vietnam war.