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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 33 No. 11. 22 July 1970

Mobilisation March

Mobilisation March

About three hundred demonstrators marched from the University on 17 July as part of the nation-wide Mobilisation against the war in Indo-China.

This followed a concert in the Student Union Building and an address by Andrew Pulley, a 19-year-old American anti-war activist.

The marchers first proceeded to Marion Street, near the Mall, where they were joined by members of the public. At this point it was decided by a show of hands that there would be no chanting.

At this point, the marchers numbered about 600. They walked in silence to the South Vietnamese Embassy in Panama Street. At the Embassy, telegrams of support from Mr O'Brien, Labour MP for Island Bay and Mr Young, Labour MP for Hutt, were read by Bill Logan.

The demonstrators then marched to the American Embassy in Customhouse Quay where further telegrams, including one from Mrs. Tirakatene-Sullivan, were read by NZUSA President, Paul Grocott.

When the marchers finally arrived at the Town Hall they were entertained by Simon and the Mammals. Conrad Bollinger, a lecturer in English at Victoria, introduced the first speaker, the Reverend Don Borrie. Mr Borrie had just returned to New Zealand from a visit to South Vietnam. He detailed some of the findings which he and his companions had made during their visit (see other story).

The Reverend Don Borrie

The Reverend Don Borrie

Andrew Pulley: "red flags flying over Washington."

Andrew Pulley: "red flags flying over Washington."

A representative from the Secondary Schools Vietnam Committee then spoke, arguing that money spent on New Zealand's Vietnam commitments could be better spent on education

Mr Harry Slingsby, author of The Rape of Vietnam, then outlined the history of the Vietnam conflict.

Two other speakers, Paul Grocott and Bob Smith, Vice-President of the Wellington Watersiders' Union, also addressed the gathering of demonstrators and onlookers.

The final speaker was Andrew Pulley. He said that the Vietnam war was "a revolution against imperialism." Mr Pulley said that opposition to the conflict is growing in the United States and that the American Government was "going to have to realise it unless they wanted red flags flying over Washington."