Pleasant Saturday Morning ....on the streets of Melbourne (1970)

Melbourne Anarchist Archives Navigation Melbourne Overview Radical Tradition

(A Report on a Typical Old-Style CPA-ALP Controlled Demonstration)

The annual July 4th Memorial Service was held on the streets of Melbourne last Saturday. It began as a procession from the U.S. Consulate into the city where the main part of the service was held outside the Pan Am Shrine. As the flocks moved away from the Consulate, they chanted the first psalm of the service - Psalm 128.

SMASH U.S. Imperialism
Smash U.S. IMPERIALISM
S-M-A-S-H U.S. IMPERIALISM

Worshippers were joining the procession of a steady rate along St. Kilda Road. The procession was well protected from heathens by a strong guard of police. As the march neared the Shrine, there was a re-enactment of the "Peking Avenue Incident" which took place in China in 1947. Mounted and foot police, and worshipers surged across St. Kilda Road as white clouds of incense rose slowly from the ground. The confusion created gave the impression that this event was in fact a reality in itself. Back in line the crowd was chanting reverently -

HO HO HO CHI MINH

over and over. This was followed by a hymn - Onward Peoples Army.

Onwards peoples army
Marching to Pan Am
U.S. IMPERIALISM
Is what we must slam.

We will raise much money
For St. Ho Chi Minh
To help his struggle
And absolve us from our sins.

Following on came Psalm 27 -

One, Two, Three, Four
People's Army, Peoples War.

The chanting and singing were very moving. There were some more chants of Ho, Ho, Ho, Chi Minh and the procession reached Princes Bridge. The Lay preachers for the day delivered a moving sermon to the masses of people in the city as the procession moved slowly through the streets of Melbourne.

• Pan Am is a symbol of U.S. Imperialism. It flies U.S. servicemen to Vietnam for full fare and flies them home half-fare when they're dead. . .

• We must oppose U.S. Imperialism. . .

• U.S. Imperialism is world-wide . . .

• U.S. Imperialism is the cause of the war in Vietnam, and oppresses people all over the world . . .

• There can be no peace on earth until U.S. Imperialism is smashed...

The procession arrived at Pan Am. The number of worshipers had increased from about 800 at the start to about 3000. The lessons were read by the Rev. Stanley Moore assisted by workers and students. The crowd stood in silence. The collection was then taken up and the people were assured that 50% of all proceeds would go the N.L.F. a truly meaningful gesture. Then the flocks sat in Collins Street and a performing group acted out a morality play which was spiritually uplifting to those present.

Finally, at the invitation of the police, the procession moved up Collins Street. Psalm 25 was chanted

One, Two, Three, Four
The N.L.F. will win the war
Five, Six, Seven, Eight
The U.S. will capitulate
Ho, Ho, Ho, Hum.

Some two and one half hours after it had started, the service concluded at the Treasury Gardens.