British Pathe

Part 3 of a series of films made for schools entitled: "War and Society."

Devised and produced in association with the Schools Council and Nuffield Foundation Humanities Curriculum Project. Editor: Ron Glenister. Research: Charlie Gillett. Producer: Richard Dunn.

"We Shall Overcome"...

Part 3 of a series of films made for schools entitled: "War and Society."

Devised and produced in association with the Schools Council and Nuffield Foundation Humanities Curriculum Project. Editor: Ron Glenister. Research: Charlie Gillett. Producer: Richard Dunn.

"We Shall Overcome" is sung on the soundtrack over photographs of a female protest singer - Joan Baez.

September 1961 - Ban the Bomb demonstrators mobilise in Trafalgar Square. Various shots of the protesters and high angle shot of them gathered in the Square. Police drafted to the area walk towards the Square. Sit down protesters include Shelagh Delaney, Vanessa Redgrave and John Osborne. Sir Herbert Reid (Reed?) is also amongst the demonstrators. A man of the cloth stands up to speak to the crowd. They are practising tactics Gandhi made famous - passive resistance. Various shots of police holding back crowds and dragging protesters across a road. Police strain to keep crowds back. Various protesters are arrested - mostly women. They are put into the back of police vans.

December 1961 - Brize Norton RAF base. Demonstrators walk with banners "Sit for a Sane World" and "Nuclear Disarmers - are they Mad, Bad or just plain Silly?" Various shots of the sit down protest. Wethersfield Air Base - protesters sit in the road. An American helicopter flies over the demonstrators. An elderly woman sits on the road and knits. Bertrand Russell is mentioned. Randolph Churchill is seen - he is present as a reporter. Police manhandle some of the demonstrators to allow a Red Cross ambulance through onto the base. C/U of police. Barbed wire is stretched across the entrance to the base. Demonstrators are arrested and dragged along the ground to police vans. Newsreel cameramen and photographers are seen. Night shots of people being arrested.

October 1967 (U.S.A.) Panning shot of large group of protesters. Man stands at a podium making a speech. American protest singer Barry McGuire on soundtrack "Eve of Destruction". Montage of shots of protesters - young and old, black and white - marching in protest against the Vietnam war. Panning shot of military standing guard. Various shots of people being held back by military, scuffles breaking out, arrests being made, massive crowds of demonstrators. M/S of Martin Luther King marching with other demonstrators. - possibly Dr Spock and others. Pro-war demonstrators stand behind police line with banners: "End Hanoi Sanctuary - Let's Bomb Hanoi to win the war and destroy Communist conspiracy." A middle aged woman holds a hand written card which reads: "My son served in Vietnam and I'm proud - I would disown a coward." High angle shot of the procession. "Veterans for Peace" walk along followed by black demonstrators with posters which read: "Black people - 53% of the dead - 2% of the bread - why?" Another banner reads: "Make Love not War." Shots of people's feet. Massive crowd congregate to hear Martin Luther King speak. Large stadium filled with protesters. Woman stands up to speak at podium (not recognised by this cataloguer.)

March 1968 - Anti Vietnam War demonstration in Trafalgar Square. Demonstrators with posters featuring Chairman Mao and Ho Chi Minh. Shots of protesters "from most walks of life." C/U of Vanessa Redgrave. Also present were "troublemakers." Various shots of the marchers moving through the London streets. Narrator speaks of how riots were being incited. C/U of Grosvenor Square street sign. Police stand in a line. Various shots of the protest turning nasty. Police struggle to hold protesters back. Some are knocked to the ground. Mounted police move in. Demonstrators are arrested and carried off. Protesters run across the square. Tear gas canisters are set off. Policemen put the boot in. A young fainting woman is helped by a policeman. A wounded policeman is carried off on a stretcher. Narrator states that the police showed "incredible self control against overwhelming brute force..." (this is debatable!) Film ends with shot of an abandoned banner which reads: "Let us voice our opinions."