GERMAN STUDENTS
DEMONSTRATE AGAINST WAR IN VIETNAM
Frankfurt
~ An unexpected number of students -- some 2,200 ~~ turned out for a conference on Vietnam organized by | the ‘Socialist Students of Germany at Frankfurt University May 22.
The conference was followed by a march through Frankfurt in > which about 4,000 participated. At a subsequent open-air meeting, the crowd was "estimated at 6, ,000., - ;
The conference, the march and the meeting were all militant ~~ in character, openly defending the social revolution in Vietnam and demanding | the withdrawal of American troops.
‘The main. ‘slogan was, "Not a penny not a man for the war in Vietnan. , a oO
A huge banner was carried by eleven people: "No German participation..n genocide" and "Amis [Yanks |] out of Vietnam."
~ Groups of Iraqi, Iranian, Greek- ‘and other foreign students participated in the march despite the fact that the secret political ~~ police of their respective countries is keeping them under close surveillance in collaboration with their German counterparts.
Herbert Marcuse; a professor of German origin, now teaching at an American university, was the main speaker at the conference. With a wealth of facts and figures, he proved that to survive Vietnam has.no choice but to undertake profound social changes, particularly a radical land reform. He pointed out that the forces fighting for such a radical program of social revolution in the underdeveloped countries will win in the end. He ridiculed the position that they should seek an alliance with "their" national bourgeoisie.
The USA, said Marcuse , is not defending | "direct economic interests" in Vietnam, but something much more important -- its global interests. If the National Liberation Front should prove that despite its weakness in arms it is possible through human courage to win against the most powerful armed forces in the world, then this would mean the end of colonial domination internationally because it would inspire uprisings. everywhere.
Professor Marcuse expressed a pessimistic view about the role | of the American working class in opposing the war in Vietnam. Never~- — theless, his remarks were most inspiring. They are to be published » shortly. by a major German publishing house. wo
Four panels took up the political and juridical problems of the Vietnam war, .the domestic causes of the Vietnamese Revolution, . aspects :of foreign policy in the Vietnam conflict, and "Vietnam and the Federal Republic."