Mayday 1971 Raw

The material for this compilation guerrilla video was created thanks to the work of nearly thirty filmmakers who, using the then-new Portapak portable cameras, recorded from within the protest movement the mass demonstrations to end the Vietnam War that were held in early May 1971 in Washington, D.C. Footage of participants' discussions, strategy planning, and spontaneous happenings alternate with the documentation of police violence, stays at police stations, and improvised detentions. The first edited version tried in vain to get airtime on NBC, while the updated version of the original compilation adds informational subtitles for today's viewers and underscores the hope that the established order and repressive power can be overcome non-violently through solidarity and shared emotion.