Dan Ellsberg reminisces on camera about May Day 1971 and resistance to the war in Vietnam, in an interview with Judy Gumbo Albert (in Berkeley, 2016). Dan describes the almost decade-long Movement – not only antiwar, but also civil rights, women’s rights – organizing in the cities, everybody feeling connected, a feeling of hope. Dan concludes by saying:
“I wouldn’t have thought of leaking the Pentagon Papers, without the example of young men who were subject to the draft at that point, choosing nonviolent resistance, choosing to go to prison. It wouldn’t have occurred to me ‘What can I do to help end the war, now that I’m ready to go to jail?’ And what we saw on May Day (1971) was thousands of young people asking themselves where can I best put my body now, now that I’m ready to go to jail to help end the war. And the war did end.”
http://yippiegirl.com/videoandaudio.html
Click on the third video listed, “Judy Gumbo interviews Daniel Ellsberg on Mayday 1971.” (19:22 minutes; the above quote starts at about minute 17:35)