Kiss of death

The Communists involvement in the protest movement was nothing nearly so significant as public hysteria would have indicated. Communists were often regarded in the COV as 'the kiss of death', but tolerant values of early COV leaders, allowed Communists their place in the movement so long as they accepted the movement's own goals.

Poet James K. Baxter has mused that in New Zealand Communists were regarded as radioactive. But their numbers and activity shows that either they are Well disguised, or overrated.

The mere presence of Communists in the protest movement caused the Labour Party to back off from the COY. Labour is embarrassed by the Communist kiss. A price paid by the COV for co-existing with communists was this official rejection by Labour, although inevitably individual Labour members associated with the protest.

These contacts made the COV a very broadly based movement, involving about a thousand people directly in Wellington, and thousands more through the press. It was led by a duly elected executive whose factional problems have not prevented its continued existence, but have embittered many good men in the COV and beyond.

Executive factions partly reflect personality problem, partly the secterianism in the protest ranks.

The protesters were numerous, the movement a communications network between them.