NOVEMBER 30 “THIS WEEK IN THE MUSIC OF NONVIOLENT RESISTANCE”

On November 30, 1936, co-founder of the Youth International Party (the “Yippies”) and social activist Abbie Hoffman was born.

Hoffman helped inspire young people to join activism in the late 60s when, in 1967, he protested the Vietnam War by vowing to levitate the Pentagon and end the war using pyschic energy. While Hoffman used his “pyschic” powers, fellow dissident Allen Ginsberg led Tibetan chants to help Hoffman’s work.

Though the Pentagon refused to budge, Hoffman’s theatrics and musical accompaniment re-ignited the anti-war movement and ultimately helped pressure the US government into withdrawing from Vietnam in 1972.

Hoffman also participated in the legendary counter-culture music festival, Woodstock, in 1969.

To learn more about the Yippies, check out this article called “The Day they Levitated the Pentagon.” Also see this for more information about their use of radical street theatre.