Glasgow Vcs's Vietnam Week'

Glasgow VSC crgmised e Vietnam Week from 16th-23rd March, The object was to respond in a constructive fashion to the call of the NIF for activities to commemorate the first anti American dmonstration in Saigon. on March 19th, 1950. The week was preceded by a period of intensive fly posting during which 500 hand made posters were stuck up prominently along thoroughfares in the city. These called for support for the NLF as well as advertising the various events projected. Attempts to hold open air meetings on three days were all frustrated because cf rain as was « poster parade of the town centre on the 23rd. However, during the course cf the week 10 000 of the specially produced leaflets were distributed at subway stations, busstops, etc, Monday and Tuesday nights saw film: shows held in the Trades Ccuncil Club and on Wednesday night a public meeting there was a‘dressed by Laurence Daly, Scottish Secretary of the NUM and Tom Hyslop, Provost of Denny. Each cf these events attracted audiences of cver forty. On the Thursday night members of the VSC distributed material at a folk song night at which a member of the Stop-It Committee was performing and Matt McGinn made a statement and smg some songs on our behalf. Saturday saw a demonstration organised belatedly by the BCPV who had earlier reiected our attempts to form an ad hoc ccmmittee to run joint activities. The cfficial title cf the march wes 'Mourn and Act' and it was to consist of silent demcnstrators dressed in black preceded by one banner stating that we were mourning for the dead of Vietnam, However, in spite cf continuous rain, the character of the 1 000 strong dmonstration was somewhat changed by the intervention cf VSC supporters. The march was studded with Liberation Front flags and large sections of it chented solidarity slogans in spite cf the attempts cf the marshals to suggest that we were breaking the supposed ‘united front’. Perhaps the most encouraging feature cf the week is the new support which has been coming in for VSC daily. The Secretary reports herr telephone frequently ringing with enquiries and donations to assist the activity have been forthcoming from many quarters, It is clear that the activities in London helped to increse people's determination here - a genuine case cf 'sccialist emulation’, But it also clear that the longer the war ccntinues the more correct dces our political position appear to be. The great success cf the Tet offensive was most important in this respect. Increasingly therefore the VSC can be seen as the leading body in the anti-war movement in the west of Scotland.