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The bottom line was that while the measure to Congressionally authorize the war had bipartisan support, it was opposed by a majority of Democrats and supported by almost all Republicans. But, it was not opposed so strongly the the Democratic party that controlled both Houses of Congress was willing to deny the President's request to bring the matter to vote on the merits.

(For what it is worth, I was actually a very junior Congressional aide for a Democratic member of Congress when the vote was held and worked on the issue in that capacity.)

I didn't recall the protests seeing all that notable at the time from my position in the Capitol, but I don't claim perfect recall of those events either.

The bottom line was that while the measure to Congressionally authorize the war had bipartisan support, it was opposed by a majority of Democrats and supported by almost all Republicans. But, it was not opposed so strongly the the Democratic party that controlled both houses of Congress was willing to deny the President's request to bring the matter to vote on the merits.

(For what it is worth, I was a very junior Congressional aide for a Democratic member of Congress when the vote was held and worked on the issue in that capacity.)

I didn't recall the protests seeming all that notable at the time from my position in the Capitol, but I don't claim perfect recall of those events either.

Congressional Action

I don't know what stances were taken by major political parties in other countries although I suspect that the conservative and liberal divide was similar.

Grass Roots Action

I don't know what stances were taken by major political parties in other countries although I suspect that the conservative and liberal divide was similar. The grass roots opposition to the war was much greater and the military action was much more controversial than it was in the U.S. in many other countries, but my knowledge of the opposition to the Gulf War outside the U.S. pretty much ends there.

Congressional Action

The buzz lines that I recall among the opponents of the Gulf War were that the U.S. shouldn't go to war for oil and "Why should we care if a slave holding monarchy that only survives due to oil money is invaded?"

Grass Roots Action In The United States

The most obvious way to quantify that is by the Congressional vote authorizing the Gulf War.

But lack of clarity about the right way to quantify this makes the question rather vague.

The BP refinery in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania was picketed, as was the Chevron Oil HQ in San Francisco (28/8/90)....

Financial interests were also targeted. In October 1990, 350 took part in a demonstration in San Francisco's financial district. Called to protest against the "destruction of the planet and its people by the corporate and financial cartels" it focused on corporate links with the Gulf War. The world headquarters of Chevron Oil were blockaded, and a US and Chevron flag burned. Traffic was blocked in Market Street (San Francisco's main street). . . .

in the Coalition forces there was no mass resistance of this kind, but there was significant opposition to the war. By the end of November over 50 US service people or reservists had declared their refusal to go. In New York, the War Resisters League had received more than 400 phone calls from soldiers, including 12 members of one company of 150 Marine reservists. Paul Dotson, a US Marine Corps reservist stated: "I emphatically refuse to kill for oil in the Persian Gulf".

The US army issued new regulations preventing soldiers from filing for conscientious objector status until they were in Saudi Arabia. Some soldiers tried other ways of avoiding the front: there were reports of 300 cases of self-mutilation among US troops in Germany who didn't want to go to the Gulf.

US Marine Jeff Patterson sat down on the runway in Hawaii and refused to board the plane due to take him to the Gulf saying that he refused to fight for "American profits and cheap oil".

united-states

Lack of clarity about the right way to quantify this makes the question rather vague.

I am also limiting my answer to the United States because that is the part of the question that I am able to answer meaningfully.

Congressional Action

The most obvious way to quantify that is by the Congressional vote authorizing the Gulf War.

Grass Roots Action

The BP refinery in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania was picketed, as was the Chevron Oil HQ in San Francisco (28/8/90)....

Financial interests were also targeted. In October 1990, 350 took part in a demonstration in San Francisco's financial district. Called to protest against the "destruction of the planet and its people by the corporate and financial cartels" it focused on corporate links with the Gulf War. The world headquarters of Chevron Oil were blockaded, and a US and Chevron flag burned. Traffic was blocked in Market Street (San Francisco's main street). . . .

in the Coalition forces there was no mass resistance of this kind, but there was significant opposition to the war. By the end of November over 50 US service people or reservists had declared their refusal to go. In New York, the War Resisters League had received more than 400 phone calls from soldiers, including 12 members of one company of 150 Marine reservists. Paul Dotson, a US Marine Corps reservist stated: "I emphatically refuse to kill for oil in the Persian Gulf".

The US army issued new regulations preventing soldiers from filing for conscientious objector status until they were in Saudi Arabia. Some soldiers tried other ways of avoiding the front: there were reports of 300 cases of self-mutilation among US troops in Germany who didn't want to go to the Gulf.

US Marine Jeff Patterson sat down on the runway in Hawaii and refused to board the plane due to take him to the Gulf saying that he refused to fight for "American profits and cheap oil".

According to the Los Angeles Times in a story published on October 21, 1990 (before the AUMF vote) there were a series of protests then with the largest involving 4,000 people who gathered in New York City, another notable one in D.C. attracting 200 demonstrators across from the White House (matched by pro-war counterprotestors whom the police kept separate from them) and 200 people at a rally in Boston. The L.A. times also reported that:

Protest rallies also were held in San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles, as well as in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Albuquerque, Birmingham, Houston, Minneapolis, Portland, Seattle and Olympia, Wash.

The Los Angeles rally drew at least 400 people to Leimert Park, where they sang peace songs and listened to fiery speeches.

According to the story a speaker to the 200 people at a rally in Cleveland that day summed up his message as follows:

“There is no reason for this country to be involved in that war,” said Jerry Gordon of the Committee Against the U.S. War in the Persian Gulf.

“It’s for big oil and profits and control of the oil interests in Kuwait and to restore the emir, a dictator, to his throne in Kuwait,” Gordon said. “We say let the people of that region determine their own destiny.”