In 1971, after six years of protesting the Vietnam War, some in the anti-war movement are eager to escalate protest tactics. On May 1, 40,000 protesters pitch camp in Washington, D.C. announcing that "If the government won't stop the war, we'll stop the government." The next morning, police in riot gear raid the encampment and demand it disperse while 10,000 federal troops amass in the city. Protesters engage in hit-and-run tactics, stirring chaos and disrupting traffic. The police deploy tear gas and make the largest mass arrest in U.S. history: more than 12,000 people. On May 4, a sit-in is dispersed by police and soldiers armed with machine guns. 79 protesters will receive convictions while the ACLU succeeds in forcing the government to pay settlements to thousands of arrestees.