DEMONSTRATORS SUPPORT VIETNAMESE FIGHTERS
By Antonio Farien
London
The Vietnam Solidarity Campaign held a demonstration in London September 28 on the eve of the Labour party's annual conference, to . protest British complicity in the Vietnam war. The demonstration was in. solidarity with the forces inside the Labour party who are in opposition to Wilson on Vietnam.
Many of the slogans were directed at Wilson and his cabinet. The demonstrators shouted, "Stop British Complicity!" "Out with - Wilson!" "American Troops in Vietnam -- Out!" Hundreds of flags of the National Liberation Front were carried.
Some 800 to 1,000 people participated. Every major left , poli-
tical tendency was represented. They marched from the Victoria _ Embankment to Transport House in Smith Square, the Labour party » headquarters, where Pat Jordan, secretary of the Campaign, delivered the. following letter to Len Williams, the secretary of the party:
"Ever-growing numbers of British people are “becoming - disgusted with the policy of the present Labour Government in supporting the American Johnson administration in its war of aggression in Vietnam. So far, only a small proportion of the population realise the extent of British involvement and complicity and we consider it our duty to make certain facts known to the British public so they can pass judgement.on the Government. The British people have been horrified by the many stories and photographs which have appeared in the British press illustrating the atrocities perpetrated by Marshall Ky's forces. We intend to make known to the British people that British officers are actively engaged in training these self-same forces in the art of jungle ‘counter insurgency' warfare in Malaya. We are going to make known to the British people the extent of British involvement in Thailand in protecting and helping to build American bases from which a very high proportion of the raids on North Vietnam take place. Many other incidents of British physical involvement in the war can be given, not to speak of the spineless parroting of American arguments about the war which - emanates from British Government sources. Moreover, the economic consequences of the British Government's foreign policy are leading to sackings, unemployment and a lower standard of living for the British people.
"The present Labour leadership have, by their Vietnam policy, betrayed the principles upon which the Labour Party was formed. What would Keir Hardie, George Lansbury and other Labour pioneers make of.all this? Even Ramsay MacDonald -- who went to prison for his pacifist beliefs -- would have rejected these policies. But Mr. Wilson and his team (many of whom have forgotten everything they said and stood for in their Aldermaston days) are not the
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Labour Party. Another aspect of the Labour. Party is shown in the huge number of resolutions on Vietnam down for discussion at next week's Labour Party annual conference. The overwhelming majority of these resolutions are highly critical of the present policy of the Government. We pledge our solidarity with those in the Labour Party who are fighting -- often in the face of expulsion threats to reverse Labour Party policy. These are the people who represent the true traditions of the Labour Party and we wish them every success."
Following the protest march, more than 500 of the demonstrators went to Central Hall to a meeting sponsored by the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation in order to launch the "International War Crimes Tribunal" campaign in Britain.
The main speakers included Setsuru Tsurushima (Japan), Ernest Tate (Vietnam Solidarity Campaign), Tariq-Ali (Pakistan) and Ralph Schoenman (secretary of the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation). They explained the purpose and goals of the War Crimes Tribunal. -
- The speakers criticized the Wilson government not only for bowing to Johnson but for actually fronting for American imperialism. Britain's active role, such as training "counter insurgency" forces in Malaya and building air bases to be used by the U.S. in carrying out bombing missions, was denounced.
The keynote of the meeting was solidarity with the Vietnamese people in their struggle against American aggression.
WALLOON WORKERS PARTY