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This eight-panel accordion-fold brochure from Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), printed in 1969, stands as a call to arms for the impending action that would become known as the Days of Rage. Bearing the rallying cry “Bring the War Home!” and featuring a silhouette of what appears to be a triumphant guerrilla fighter, the publication invited students, community activists, and the broader anti-war movement to converge on Chicago on October 11.
Historical Context
- SDS and Splintering Factions: By 1969, SDS was fracturing internally over strategic directions. One militant faction, soon to be known as the Weathermen (and later the Weather Underground), advocated for more confrontational tactics than peaceful protest.
- The Days of Rage: Set to coincide roughly with the trial of the “Chicago Eight” (later the “Chicago Seven”)—charged after the tumultuous 1968 Democratic National Convention—this protest aimed to demonstrate that anti-war sentiment could no longer be contained.
- War at Home: “Bring the war home!” captured a conviction that U.S. imperialism and the violence of Vietnam were tied to domestic injustice, including systemic racism and economic oppression.
Content and Strategy
- Revolutionary Rhetoric: The brochure’s text denounces “the system” that exploits “the labor of poor and working people all over the world.” It calls out capitalism and white supremacy, urging unity among the oppressed.
- Imagery of Armed Defiance: The front cover depicts a figure hoisting a rifle overhead—conjuring associations with global liberation struggles from Vietnam to Latin America.
- Cross-Community Solidarity: Passages underline support for Black liberation and Puerto Rican independence, connecting them to the fight against the Vietnam War. The invitation draws parallels between anti-colonial battles abroad and the urgency for transformation at home.
- Direct Action, Not “Spectacle”: Inside, an oft-repeated line reads, “A revolution is not a spectacle! There are no spectators! Everyone participates whether they know it or not.” This admonition underscores the Weathermen’s belief in moving beyond demonstrations toward disruptive confrontation.
Significance and Impact
- Days of Rage: Though only a few hundred demonstrators took to the streets (far fewer than the tens of thousands hoped for), they attracted intense media attention. Confrontations with police left protesters arrested and injured, and the events crystallized debate within the broader anti-war movement about the roles of militancy and violence.
- Shift to Underground Tactics: Many who participated in the October 11 protest would soon pursue clandestine activities under the Weather Underground, underscoring how the document’s heated language foreshadowed a departure from mainstream activism.
- Enduring Symbol: The signatories Bill Ayers and Paul Krassner became emblematic of the 1960s counterculture’s legacies—Ayers for his role in the Weather Underground, Krassner for his irreverent political comedy and publishing. Their handwritten notes highlight the pamphlet’s status as both a historical artifact and a continuing conversation about rebellion and peace.
Special thanks to the USC Digital Imaging Lab for their support in digitizing this item.
