‘Stop Bombing Vietnam’ Shouts In Commons

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30975, 3 February 1966, Page 13

‘Stop Bombing Vietnam’ Shouts In Commons

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

LONDON, Feb. 2.

Demonstrators shouting “murder . . . stop bombing Vietnam” were hustled out of the gallery of the House of Common s last night, the Associated Press reported. Some of them struggled with guards, and others fell to the floor in the corridors after being rushed outside the House chamber, and were carried away.

The repeated uproars came during a debate on the aircraft industry after the House Speaker had rejected a Left-wing motion for an emergency debate on Vietnam.

The incident was one of the longest series of Parliamentary interruptions since the sessions of World War 11.

About 20 demonstrators, mostly young men and women, were seized. Elsewhere United States resumption of bombing of North Vietnam had this reaction:

Amsterdam: About 200 students demonstrated at the U.S. consulate and delivered a protest. Some demonstrators marched to the private home of the United States Consul General, Mr Warde Cameron, and mobbed his car as he arrived.

The Hague: A majority of the Dutch Parliamentary Chamber expressed disappointment over the bombings. AU speakers, however, said it was regrettable that neither North Vietnam nor China had reacted favourably to President Jonhson’s peace moves.

Paris: Police issued a ban against a demonstration scheduled for Thursday evening at the United States Embassy. Belgrade: The Jugoslav Government condemned the resumption of air attacks and said the United States assumed “a grave responsibility” that could not be justified. New York: A large-scale sit-down demonstration protesting against the resumption of the bombing in North Vietnam snarled traffic in New York’s Times Square last night, the “New York Times” news service reported. At least 35 demonstrators were carried limp and unresisting to police vans. They were arrested for disorderly conduct after sitting and lying on the slush-covered streets.

The protest was carried out by at least 1000 persons who

marched into Times Square from the United Nations plaza, where many of them had participated in a 24hour silent Vigil against President Johnson’s decision to resume the bombing of North Vietnam. The demonstration was organised by the Ad Hoc Times Square Demonstration Committee and the New York Workshop in Non-violence.

Demonstrators received a cool reception from passers-

by. Some shouted insults but most hurried by to catch their trains with just a side glance at the demonstrators.