MEETING OF PROTEST

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31276, 24 January 1967, Page 14

MEETING OF PROTEST

Twelve Guest Speakers Twelve guest speakers from Canterbury and Otago addressed a meeting in the W.E.A. Hall last evening protesting against the visit of Air Vice-Marshal Ky to New Zealand. About 90 persons attended the meeting called by the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation. The meeting passed a resolution saying:— “This meeting of citizens of Christchurch protests against the action of the Government in inviting Air ViceMarshal Ky to New Zealand. It believes that in doing so the Government has leaned in the direction of reaction and escalation. The meeting expresses concern at the trends of the war, and urges upon the Government support of U Thant in his proposals for peace.” A motion in the same words had been pass'll at a meeting in the Civic Ther.tre on Friday evening called by the Christchurch Joint Council on Vietnam.

The speakers included Mr J. Ballantyne, a vice-president of the Dunedin branch of the United Nations Association of New Zealand and secretary of the Dunedin Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament; Dr. D. Adams, senior research officer for the Medical Research Council in Dunedin, Mr D. M. Kane, representing the Federation of Labour; Mr W. T. Rice, a former member of the Waimairi County County Council; Mr S. W. Ayers, a member of the national executive of the Christian Pacifist Association; Mr W. Rosenberg, reader in economics at the University of Canterbury; Mr L. C. J. Southon, secretary of the New Zealand Tramway and Public Passenger Employees’ Union; Mrs N. Williams, a Christchurch housewife; Mr L. F. J. Ross, chairman of the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation; Mr T. Hooper, secretary of the

Christchurch Socialist Forum; Mr R. Lake, a member of the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation; and Mr G. J. McArthur, president of the Christchurch branch of the New Zealand-China Society. After the main speakers had finished, several other anti-Ky speakers, and two pro-Ky speakers, addressed the meeting.