Although he was trying new things musically , Ochs did not abandon his protest roots . He was profoundly concerned with the escalation of the Vietnam War , performing tirelessly at anti-war rallies across the country . In 1967 he organized two rallies to declare that " The War Is Over " — " Is everybody sick of this stinking war ? In that case , friends , do what I and thousands of other Americans have done — declare the war over . " — one in Los Angeles in June , the other in New York in November . He continued to write and record anti-war songs , such as " The War Is Over " and " White Boots Marching in a Yellow Land " . Other topical songs of this period include " Outside of a Small Circle of Friends " , inspired by the murder of Kitty Genovese , who was stabbed to death outside of her New York City apartment building while dozens of her neighbors reportedly ignored her cries for help , and " William Butler Yeats Visits Lincoln Park and Escapes Unscathed " , about the despair he felt in the aftermath of the Chicago 1968 Democratic National Convention police riot
1968 Democratic National Convention
1968 Democratic National Convention
Phil Ochs