"WHEN IS THE NEXT ONE
SCHEDULED?"
The import of the October 21 demonstrations around the world is still being assessed in the various capitals, for they appear to represent something new -- a sign of a most significant advance in the struggle against imperialism.
The most extraordinary feature of the actions was the success achieved in coordinating them on a worldwide scale. The atmosphere came close to that of May Day, the international holiday of the working class, except that it was far more militant in most cities than May Day celebrations have been since they became an established tradition.
The October 21 demonstrations were remarkably uniform in the slogans advanced, a strong tendency being to center them around the demand, "Withdraw the U.S. Troops Now!"
Most notable of all was the fact that the demonstrations were organized despite the lack of support from the official labor organizations, the biggest exception to this being Japan, where Sohyo [General Council of Trade Unions] threw its weight behind the antiwar action. October 21 can thus be regarded as a mere harbinger of what is to come when the working class begins to move ina cohesive way on this front.
The roster of cities that witnessed marches, rallies and meetings was most impressive, especially in the other industrially advanced capitalist countries. Aside from the demonstrations in the U.S., the list included London, Paris, Dublin, Stockholm, Oslo, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, West Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Zurich, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and many others. In Japan, 367 localities, including Tokyo, saw action.
The demonstrations ranged in size from the eleven individuals who staged a silent demonstration October 21 before the U.S. consulate general in Hong Kong to the estimated 1,500,000 persons who poured into the streets in Japan.
In some cities, the demonstrations became the center of public attention to such a degree as to dominate normal activities. For instance, in Amsterdam, the authorities, evidently deciding that a discreet bending to the pressure was advisable, banned all motor traffic in the center of the city in order to clear the way for the marchers. About 15,000 participated in the parade, shouting: "Johnson murderer!"
In Oslo 500 students demonstrated. They broke a window in the American enbassy. Others painted the letters "USA" throughout the city, with the "S" shaped like a swastika.
Paris had the biggest demonstration in Europe. Police gave out the figure of 30,000 participants, but seasoned observers reported that the figure was at least double this.
Another impressive feature of the demonstrations was the unity displayed in action. With but few exceptions, the whole gamut of political views, from bourgeois liberal to the ultralefts, participated in the marches.
A typical example was the parade around the U.S. embassy in Tokyo. The police figure for the number involved was 3,000. (The same sources estimated 60,000 in the general demonstration in Tokyo. ) The 3,000 represented about forty organizations, which sponsored the action at the U.S. embassy through a joint working committee. In addition to this, students from eleven universities sent delegations.
The huge international success served to inspire opponents of the U.S. aggression in Vietnam. In a number of countries, the first thought of key organizers in the various actions was "When is the next one scheduled?"
And in striking contrast to the universal hatred and revulsion felt for the Johnson administration, the question was directed with a new feeling of solidarity and elation to the organizations inside the United States that staged the giant demonstration in Washington and which had appealed for supporting actions on an international scale on the same day.
JAPANESE RAILWAY UNION