Sidney Peck, one of the National vice-chairmen of the Spring Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam and coordinator of the Western Reserve University Circle Teach-in Committee in Cleveland, spoke to a group of over 80 people, Sunday, March 5, at Wayne State University.
Dr. Peck was gathering further support for the April 15th effort to mass hundreds of thousands of people protesting the war in New York and San Francisco. He made a special plea for unity around the April 15th action and to broaden support for the mobilization.
Support for the Spring Mobilization continues to broaden as April 15 draws near. In addition to the Santa Clara Labor Council of the AFL-CIO in California, the Northern California District Council of the International Longshoremen and Warehousemen’s Union has endorsed the Spring Mobilization. Marshall Axelrod, president of the California Federation of Teachers has also added his name to the already impressive list of sponsors and Cleveland Robinson, secretary-treasurer of District 65 and president of the Negro-American Labor Council, recently became one of the national vice-chairmen of the Spring Mobilization Committee.
Peck reported that the Cleveland Mobilization Committee is organizing thousands from Ohio to travel to NYC by various means of transportation. One of the most important will be a “peace train.”
Cleveland has offered the Detroit Spring Mobilization Committee ten of the many railroad cars for part of its transportation with the two cities linking up in Buffalo, NY. Following the link up it is proposed that there be whistle stops along the way. See ad on page 4 for reservations.
The Detroit Student Mobilization Committee has announced that a public War Crimes Hearing will be conducted at the Wayne State University campus April 12, as part of the activities of Vietnam Week, April 8-15.
A panel of prominent attorneys and experts will review the evidence presented by researchers and witnesses pertaining to the allegation that the U.S. government is committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Vietnam, and otherwise violating international and U.S. law.
The panel will also consider charges that local, private, and public institutions are conducting chemical, biological or other war related research, and are guilty of complicity in U.S. war crimes. Napalm producing industries such as Dow Chemical are named in the charge.
The War Crimes Hearings, though basing itself on the precedent of the Nuremberg Tribunal which tried Nazi war criminals following World War II, will be more like a grand jury than a criminal court, it will examine available evidence to see if an indictment can be brought.
April 6, on the Wayne campus, a war referendum reading “Are you in favor of an immediate cease fire and withdrawal of U.S. troops from Vietnam?” will be put before the student body and results will be publicized during Vietnam Week. Other activities will include: Sunday, April 9 a “Hoot for Peace”; and Tuesday, April 11 a day of films on the war and the anti-war movement.
Buttons! Buttons! Buttons! are available from the FIFTH ESTATE BOOKSTORE on Plum Street and the Detroit Committee to End the War in Vietnam at 1101 W. Warren. They read: BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW! Build Vietnam Week; END CAMPUS COMPLICITY! Build Vietnam Week; and OPPOSE THE DRAFT! Build Vietnam Week! in wonderfully new and modern designs. Also a free copy of the STUDENT MOBILIZER newspaper may be obtained at both locations either in person or by mail.
Related
See Fifth Estate’s Vietnam Resource Page.