The Weather Underground, originally known as the Weathermen, was a radical left-wing organization founded in 1969 in the United States. Its roots are found in the [[Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)]], a major anti-war group during the [[Vietnam War]] era. ### Formation The group was born out of dissatisfaction with the SDS's approach to opposing the Vietnam War. Some members felt that peaceful protests were ineffective and that more direct, aggressive action was necessary. Thus, the Weathermen were formed. They took their name from a line in the [[Bob Dylan]] song "Subterranean Homesick Blues": "You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows." ### Activities and Beliefs **The Weather Underground advocated for the violent overthrow of the U.S. Government and was responsible for bombings and other acts of violence throughout the 1970s. They targeted government buildings, banks, and police stations, intending to protest against the Vietnam War, racism, and other forms of what they perceived as social injustice.** The group believed in "bringing the war home," which meant that they sought to make American citizens feel the impact of the Vietnam War directly in their daily lives. This was their justification for their campaign of bombing and property destruction. ### Key Events - The first national demonstration by the group, known as the "Days of Rage," occurred in October 1969 in Chicago. Around 800 Weathermen intended to clash with the police to protest the trial of the Chicago Eight, but the demonstration ended with extensive property damage and over 280 arrests. - One of the most notable incidents in the group's history was the Greenwich Village townhouse explosion in 1970. The group was constructing a bomb in a Greenwich Village safe house, but the device accidentally detonated, killing three members of the organization. - **The Weather Underground bombed the United States Capitol in 1971 and the Pentagon in 1972, causing damage but no casualties.** ### Later Years and Dissolution Throughout the 1970s, the group's influence began to wane. Many of the group's members turned themselves in to authorities or were arrested. The end of the Vietnam War in 1975 removed one of the group's principal causes, and its activities decreased significantly. By the late 1970s, the Weather Underground was essentially defunct. It officially disbanded in 1981, and its former members moved on to other activities, often within social or political arenas. In the years since, the Weather Underground has been a source of much controversy and debate. Some view them as terrorists, while others see them as misguided idealists. Several former members have written memoirs and participated in documentaries, providing personal insights into the group's activities and motivations.