"In the backdrop of the Vietnam War, 1960s America was marked by fervent anti-war sentiments and countercultural upheaval. Taking cues from Woody Guthrie's 'Fascist Killer' sensibilities, the Weather Underground emerged as a radical left-wing organisation that sought to challenge the establishment. The clandestine organisation, born from the ashes of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), adopted its name from a Bob Dylan lyric, referencing the protest singer's spirit of political dissent. The Weather Underground can be traced back to the late 1960s when anti-Vietnam War rhetoric and the concurrent Civil Rights movement reached a fever pitch. The group officially formed in 1969 following the disbandment of the SDS, with its name inspired by a memorable line from Bob Dylan's Bringing It All Back Home opener, 'Subterranean Homesick Blues': 'You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.' This lyric became the title of a defining position paper distributed at an SDS convention in Chicago on June 18th, 1969. The Weather Underground's founding document, bearing the Dylan lyric as its title, outlined a radical vision for the group. It called for the creation of a 'white fighting force' aligned with the Black Liberation Movement and other radical organisations, all working towards the common goal of 'the destruction of US imperialism and the formation of a classless communist world'. The manifesto registered the group's commitment to a revolution against what they perceived as an oppressive government. Operating under the sobering mantra 'bring the war home', the Weather Underground undertook a series of militant actions, including bombings, bank robberies, and instances of political sabotage. They targeted institutions viewed as symbols of oppression and imperialism, such as the Pentagon, the US Capitol, and police stations. Subsequent media coverage would carry the organisation's bold statement against what it considered a fundamentally flawed system. Weather Underground's actions were not without controversy, however. Adrift from Dylan's message of peace, the group's extremist methods strayed into the realm of domestic terrorism. While the group claimed their activism intended to raise awareness and prompt change, their tactics drew criticism from both within and outside the activist community. The line between activism and extremism became increasingly blurred, often leading to animosity between the two factions centred on the latter's counter-intuitive effects. ..."
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