1.
LV North Vietnamese cross tarmac ZOOM BACK TO Demonstrators (2 shots)
0.14

2.
CU Demonstrators fighting with others, PAN TO Policeman
0.32

3.
SCU North Vietnamese in airport lounge
0.42

4.
LV Vietnamese delegation walking
0.48

5.
SV Vietnamese shaking hands with officials while demonstrators chant
1.07

6.
SCU Police trying to control demonstrators around car
1.28



Initials ESP/1151 ESP/1219


TELERECORDING

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: North Vietnamese trade union officials, who are on a two-week visit to study the trade union movement in Australia, were met by angry scenes a demonstrators clashed with trade unionists at Brisbane airport on Tuesday (6 February).

The President of the Hanoi Federation of Trade Unions, Mr. Vu Dinh, ??? the deputy head of the North Vietnamese Trades Union International Department, Mr. Tran Than, accompanied by an interpreter, are the first ???gation from their country to visit Australia.

About 200 placard-waving demonstrators booed and chanted as the North Vietnamese arrived. Fights broke out between protesters and representatives of Australian trade unions and communist and Socialist political parties, who had turned up to welcome the visitors.

Police had to separate two rival groups who were fighting for possession of North and South Vietnamese flags. Outside the airport ???rminue, demonstrators pummelled the roof of the car carrying the delegation.

A policeman was slightly injured when he was hit by a car which drove into the crowd. About 80 demonstrators chased the visitors' car as it left the airport.

SYNOPSIS: A North Vietnamese trade union delegation received a noisy and violent reception from demonstrators when they arrived in Brisbane at the start of a two-week study visit to Australia.

With Australian participation in the Vietnam war still fresh in the memory, tempers, rose, and fights broke out. Protesters struggled with Australian trade unionists and Communist Party members who had turned up to welcome the North Vietnamese.

The visitors are Mr. Vu Dinh, president of the Hanoi trade union federation, and Mr. Tran Than, deputy head of his country's international trade union department, and an interpreter. Their mission is to study Australian trade unionism.

Many of the two hundred demonstrators carried placards with slogans such as "Red Rats Go Home" and "Running Dogs of Mao". There were more violent scenes outside the airport terminal as demonstrators surrounded the North Vietnamese delegates' car.

Demonstrators pummelled the car as the Vietnamese tried to leave and a policeman was slightly injured when another vehicle drove into the crowd. Even after the visitors' car had left the airport, it was chased for some way by a large group of demonstrators.