New Hebrideans speaking

with their feet

The New Hebrideans were on the march in July, staking two marches— and for separate reasons.

The first, on July 13, was organised by the National Party. Two hundred supporters marched through Santo armed with banners in support of the bans imposed by New Zealand and Australian trade unions on French shipping as a protest against the bomb tests at Mururoa atoll. There was one short, sharp scuffle but no one was arrested.

The demonstration followed the appearance on the walls of the British District Agency, the Post Office and Burns Philp’s store of anti-NZ and Australian slogans.

No one knows who was responsible for the slogans but the finger of suspicion pointed to seamen from a French ship, which was in Santo at the time.

The second demonstration came the following day and it was also in Santo. Na Griamel supporters, numbering about 300, decided to celebrate French National Day, the anniversary of the taking of the Bastille, with a march. But they weren’t demonstrating in France’s favour. They wanted independence for the New Hebrides. Several French men were in the marchers’ ranks but, said an observer, they probably had their tongues in their cheeks.