"Evil is a participatory phenomenon. It counts on participation to be successful. 
The option you have is to withdraw your participation. From there it’s all liberation, whatever the cost."
—David Harris in The Boys Who Said NO!
Following Putin's invasion of Ukraine, a surprising number of bold antiwar protests have erupted in Russia, with many arrests. In Ukraine, unarmed civilians are courageously blocking Russian military convoys in the streets and using other nonviolent tactics to slow the invasion. 
 
Thousands of Russian men are reportedly saying no to being conscripted into an unjust war, as was true in America during the Vietnam war. One popular Russian rapper, quoted in the New York Times, credited the Vietnam-era peace movement as inspiration and called for building a similar antiwar movement in Russia.
The movement to end the Vietnam war was one of the largest and most effective protest movements in American history, with impact felt worldwide. Directed by Judith Ehrlich, the Bullfrog Films release The Boys Who Said NO! profiles a central story of the Vietnam-era peace movement, highlighting how the principled resistance of a few early on sparked greater opposition to the war and ultimately helped end an earlier, disastrous conflict.
Drawing on original interviews with more than thirty male and female nonviolent activists and historians, the film shows how their personal and collective acts of nonviolent resistance—influenced by the principles of Gandhian nonviolence and the impact of the civil rights movement—were a critical part of the antiwar movement, intensifying opposition to the war and eventually forcing an end to both conscription and the war.
The Boys Who Said NO! is available on DVD with public performance rights for school and library purchase or rental. Academic streaming can be licensed from Docuseek. Campus and community groups interested in hosting a community screening can book now through Bullfrog Communities. Director Judith Ehrlich is available to participate in screening events. Please email us for more information.
"The Boys Who Said NO! could not be more important and timely: ...the film provides an inspiring and deeply significant example of the strategies, struggles, and stories of the millions of...women and men who resisted and helped end the terrible US war in Vietnam and Southeast Asia."
—David Vine, Professor of Anthropology, American University

"Essential viewing for anyone who wants to understand how collective action ended American involvement in Vietnam and the personal consequences of that action."
—Amy Rutenberg, Associate Professor of History, Iowa State University

"Wonderful, truly inspiring and informative, with a powerful message about the necessity of resisting unjust war and the imperative of nonviolence."
—David Cortright, Director of Policy Studies, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame; Vietnam-era Veteran
To order The Boys Who Said NO!
with public performance rights,
Order by phone at (610) 779-8226
or email us at info@bullfrogfilms.com
Bullfrog Films is the oldest and largest publisher of documentary films about the environment in the United States. We define "environment" broadly, and our catalog includes programs on ecology, energy, agriculture, indigenous peoples, women's studies, environmental justice, international relations, sustainable development, anthropology, economics, ethics, and conflict resolution.