“Get Gorton” Crusade

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31880, 7 January 1969, Page 1

“Get Gorton” Crusade

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) LONDON, Jan. 6. A dozen jeering demonstrators ran alongside the car containing the Australian Prime Minister (Mr Gorton) as it swung into the entrance of the Savoy Hotel today.

The demonstrators, from the Get Gorton Ad Hoc Committee carried placards reading: "Gorton, Chief Cop of the Police State”; “Gorton and Holyoake, Fascist Guns of South-East ’ Asia”; and “Victory to the N.L.F.” (the Viet Cong’s National Liberation Front). The police drove the demonstrators back as Mr Gorton left the car and hurried into the hotel. The demonstrators then scattered, distributing as they went stickers bearing Mr Gorton’s likeness and the slogans, “Wanted for Racialism,” “White Australia Policy,” and “Slave Trade of Aborigines.” Most of those taking part are believed to have come from the Australians and New Zealanders Against the War in Vietnam organisation, whose members burned an Australian flag outside Australia House during a demonstration, against the Vietnam war last October. The Get Gorton Committee has announced that it will stage a major demonstration at Marlborough House, the site of the conference of Commonwealth Prime Ministers, tomorrow.

“We expect several thousand people there,” said a spokesman for the committee. “We will be trying to make Mr Gorton the target. If anyone throws anything at him, it won’t worry us.” The militant Pakistani student leader, Mr Tariq Ali, has given his support to the movement against Mr Gorton. A third demonstration has been arranged to take place outside Australia House on Saturday. The leader of the Australians and New Zealanders Against the Vietnam War (Mr John Roberts) said: “We want to harass Mr Gorton throughout his stay.”

Another member of the group, Mr Alex Mitchell,

said, “There will be a lot of people at the Tuesday demonstration, and I don’t think Mr Gorton will get through the barricades unscathed. “Mr Holyoake can also expect some rough treatment.” Mr Roberts said later his committee was aware that other Commonwealth leaders would be present during tomorrow’s demonstration. “But,” he said “there will be no-one else there as close to being as big a racialist as Mr Gorton is.”

He added: “There is a possibility of violence, but our main aim is to let Mr Gorton know the feeling of hostility against his policies. We want to confront Mr Gorton with his policies every time he turns round."