On April 24th, some 3,000 to 4,000 people gathered in London's Trafalgar Square for a rally and demonstration in solidarity with the struggle of the peoples of Indo-China. The mobilisation had been called by the Vietnam Solidarity Committee in response to American appeals for the international coordination of actions on that date.
A rough survey of the banners carried made it clear that the backbone of the mobilisation were the International Marxist Group and the Spartacus League branches which had been active in organising it at the local level. However, sufficient banners of local Labour Party Young Socialists, Communist Party, International Socialism and Maoist groups were present to suggest that the lack of greater representation of these tendencies on the mobilisation was not on account of their principled opposition to it. What precisely it was due to is perhaps for these groups to make clear. However, the banners of groups expressing solidarity with the Irish, Spanish and Ceylonese peoples were prominent. Although the Schools Action Union and certain universities and technical colleges were represented, the virtual coincidence of the mobilisation with the beginning of academic term had made the contacting of the bulk of the student population impossible.
Group '68, whose members include a wide spectrum of U.S. citizens resident in Britain opposed to their country's involvement in S. E. Asia, took an active part in organising and mobilising for the action, although making clear their pacifist rather than solidarity position. In particular they provided the recordings of the Winter Soldier Investigation into army war crimes which were played to the assembling crowds in the square.
Of the three speakers, Group '68 spoke first, giving some idea of the scope and scale of the American mobilisations, and their place in the resurgence of the anti-war movement. Ernie Roberts, of the Engineering Union, then spoke on the internationalist obligations of the British Labour Movement and the irresponsibility of its leaders in remaining so apathetic over VSC, by putting the Indo-Chinese struggle in its international context, was able to stress how central its role continued to be The demonstration passed through the central shopping districts on its way to the U.S. Embassy in Grosvenor Square, where a delegation handed in a letter expressing disgust with U.S. policies and solidarity with the peoples of Indo-China. The body of marchers themselves found the military-style formations of police surrounding the Embassy both infuriating and illuminating. An American flag was burnt, and the mood of the demonstrators took a markedly more militant turn. However, the closed ranks of the marchers, particularly of the Spartacus League at the front, prevented many arrests on the march (two arrests were made in all). Dispersal at Hyde Park, in previous demonstrations the scene of victimisation by the police, was this time accomplished swiftly and efficiently.
Demonstrators were subsequently amazed to read in the Observer the next day that the mobilisation had involved only some 350 people This report was echoed in the Workers Pr report of 400, and more "generously" in 1,000 given in the Morning Star. In fact 2 leaflets had proved inadequate to cover th the Square, and this does not count the si numbers joining the march immediately b it left or along its course.
VSC, incensed at this treatment of a m sation markedly more successful than all i immediate predecessors, has sent a strong of protest to the Observer. They point ou what is at issue is a lot more than mere bi over numbers. There has in fact been a ne access of strength, ending the downswing anti-war movement, reflecting that in Am although still on a more modest scale. Thi upsurge has expressed itself in both the qu tative and qualitative strengthening of the demonstration. The bourgeois press and it Stalinist and sectarian derivatives must no allowed to obscure this fact.
Duncan McNiven