GREETINGS FOR AMERICAN SAILORS IN ITALY
By F. Bassi
Rome
According to Italian folklore, if anything special happens on New Year's Day, it is bound to be repeated throughout the year. The headquarters of the American NATO military base at Livorno (Leghorn) in Tuscany must be hoping that it ain't so, at least for 1967. On that day 5,000 American sailors on shore leave got very warm greetings from the local working-class population.
About a week previously, a big demonstration had been staged in the city in solidarity with the Vietnamese people. Thus when the sailors began coming ashore, feelings were already high. These were not assuaged by the behavior of the sailors in the following days. They broke shop windows and street lamps and injured a girl.
Around the docks they tore down all the posters put up.in Italian and English by the youth organizations of the Communist party and the PSIUP [Italian Socialist Party of Proletarian Unity]. These read: "Red Livorno greets you in the same spirit and with the same anger as the Vietnamese people greet your bombs."
On New Year's Eve an effigy of an American sailor was strung up to a palm tree. A placard was attached to it reading in both Italian and English: "Joe, stop killing; go home!" ;
‘The local authorities, worried about the effect of such a New Year's greeting card, had the effigy taken down by firemen. A crowd gathered and began protesting. A squad car pulled up and one of the policemen got out and began wielding his club.
Unfortunately the crowd was not in a receiving mood and the result was. that the squad of cops had to leave, three of them being taken to the hospital.
By now the temper of the crowd, particularly the youth, was such that a spontaneous demonstration flared up. They went after any American sailors they could find.
They beat them up and chased them to their ships. As the crowd overturned one of their automobiles, the Communist mayor of the city and a Communist deputy sought to calm down the demonstrators. But they could do nothing. Along with the police, they had to beat a retreat. Only when the city was cleared of American sailors did the demonstration end.
As usual: the local Communist party leaders played the role of peacemakers. They did not want the demonstration and they did not encourage it. However, the situation continued to roll beyond their control.
A leaflet was distributed the next day criticizing them. "It is an illusion," said the leaflet among other things, "to hope that peace can be preserved by leaving. imperialism free to act. The insane logic of imperialism is the logic of exploitation and destruction, which does not halt unless it is defeated. Enough of peaceful strolls organized in agreement with the police! Vietnam is not distant. The USA is not distant. Imperialism has NATO bases in Italy."
The leaflet was signed, "Militants of the PCI [Italian Communist party], PSIUP and independents in favor of a Livorno Committee against American Aggression in Vietnam."
NINE PAC MEMBERS SENTENCED TO DIE IN SOUTH AFRICA
By Barney Desai
London
According to the