Reaction was quick to the U.S. attack - a number of individuals and organisations protested immediately: Lord Russel, as might be expected was quick to send cables,to issue a statement and send cables to Johnson, and the Governments of China and North Vietnam; three trade union leaders: Dave Lambert, AUFW, Percy Yelcher, TWU, and Terry Parry, FBU, issued individual statements criticising the U.S. action and calling for speedy action to prevent the conflict from spreading, Fenner Brockway, MePe, t00, called for immediate action to meet a "very grave" situation, On Wednesday y as people began to organise, more and more groups of people swung into action: over 150 people took part in “CND_ lunch-time demonstration in Whitehall; deputation representing various peace groups in & burgh saw the UeS. consul and told of their horror at the attack; 200 demonstrators circled the U.S. Embassy in London, Grosvenor Square, carrying banners denouwing the action; the Glasgow Trades Counci’. representing nearly 100,000 workers unsnimously condemmed the U.S. action; more trade union leaders spoke out: the Glesgow 2 rict Gouneil secretary of the NUR, Peter Sweeney, John Wood, Scottish Area secretary of the NUM, and others condemned the acti : C2!) issued a statement demanding that the British Government should noi sive “blind support" to the U.S.3; North West CND denounced the Amezican action and called upon its supporters to turn the and Cheltenham trades councils called for action by the Labour movement to avert war; telegrams were sent by 25 workers in Shettleston BR. workshops, the management and staff of the Victoria restaurant, Broadstairs, Nan Milton, Stirling County Councillor and secretary of the Avonbridge Labour rty, and nuierous efforts from the Nottingham are ,.
On Friday two letters appeared in the Times both calling for an immediate recall of the 14 nation Geneva conference, one letter being signed by six Labour M.P.s - including Barbara Castle and Jennie Lee ~ and Lord Faringdon, the other with Canon Collins and Kingsley Martin heading six well-knowm names; among the organisations sending deputations to the Foreign Office to hand in protests weres M.C.F., Peace Pledge Union, C.N.D., I.C.D.P., British Peace Committee, Friends' Peace Committee and the Russell Peace Foundations; a deputation went from the Southampton CND to the American Consul in that town protesting; a telegram signed by all the members of the Glyncorrwe UDC called upon the Government to withdraw support from the U.S.; 500 postcards were sent from the Merseyside area to the U.S. Embassy saying that the British people did not support U.S. action; the Manchester District Committee of the AUBTW protested and demanded the recall of the Geneva Conference; protests were signed by 40 workers at Menchester dry dock and 130 workers at Thrupp and Maberly's (London); -telegrams went from a group of women in Stoke Newineton and the officers of the Nottingham Anti-Apartheid Committee and another demonstration took place outside the U.S. Embassy.
As the crisis drifted into the background the volume of protest slackened but by no means ceased: Kingston branch of the National Society of Metal Mechanics at its August meeting denounced the attacks and called for withdrawal of all foreign trvops from South East Asia, 40 people from Ealing signed a protest to the Prime Minister; the Kirkcaldy Trades Council went on record against the U.S. action, a group of pacifists in Gloucester telegrammed the U.S. Embassy; some 500 people took part in a C.P. protest demonstration in London; and yet another demonstration took place outside the U.S. Embassy. (N.B. we thank all readers who sent in reports as above)