March On The Pentagon

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Pro–War demonstrators gather to demonstrate in support of the war and against the protestors suring the Pentagon March.

The March on the Pentagon was an anti-war demonstration held by Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER) in Washington, DC on March 17, 2007, the fourth anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq, to demand that the US withdraw its military from combat in Iraq. The date also commemorated the fortieth anniversary of the original March on the Pentagon in 1967, protesting the war in Vietnam. This demonstration was notable for being the first large anti-war demonstration in Washington since the Iraq War began that was counter-protested by substantial numbers of people who supported the war effort as necessary.^{[citation needed]}

The Gathering of Eagles was organized to protect the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial against possible vandalism by anti-war protestors but also drew thousands of counter-protestors.^{[citation needed]} During a previous demonstration, the March On Washington, held seven weeks previously on January 27, anarchists forming black blocs had broken away from the main body of protestors to rush the Capitol but were held back by the police. The anarchists, hidden by the crowd from the police, painted graffitti on the Capitol steps. Later, they smashed the window of a military recruiting office downtown. The police did not make any arrests in either incident. This recent provocation came upon a history of vandalism of war memorials by the Left.^{[citation needed]}

ANSWER provoked Vietnam War veterans by planning their demonstration to assemble next to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Constitution Gardens.