A Day Without the Pentagon Tactical Manual

Civil disobedience at the Pentagon in 1998.

This artfully crafted ‘tactical manual’ was published in 1998 by the War Resister’s League for the upcoming event, ‘A Day Without the Pentagon.’ The act of mass public civil disobedience was planned to protest the continual militarization of the American economy, with the radical stated goal of “a total end of the military as a way of resolving conflict.”

A street plan of D.C. and a schematic diagram of the various entrances are accompanied by numerous captioned photographs. Information about nonviolence training, the forthcoming legal ramifications (first-time arrestees will probably be ‘ticketed out’), and historical protests at the Pentagon are also included. A contemporary article on the event reads, in part,

“A coalition of peace activists yesterday held a rally sponsored by the War Resisters League, on the grounds of the Pentagon as part of a civil disobedience called “A Day without the Pentagon.” Hundreds of protesters occupied Pentagon grounds demanding an end to U.S. military intervention abroad, a drastic slash in military spending and the re-direction of those funds towards domestic social needs.”

Sources: C-Span; Democracy Now; TriCollege Libraries ;