FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1971

* Vol. 32, No. 44 :

tions in the
Centre of the

MM
hoy tiTKA PROTEST. The biggest protest demonstra
nee's history are taking place as the PT went to press.

province-wide protest was a rally at the U.S. Consulate at Georgia and
Burrard. Photo shows the recent students rally at the Consulate.

By MAURICE RUSH, Editor
with the Cannikin

hed. :
yj, © decision by President Nixon to go ahead :
| y Presiden " me
Bran face of overwhelming world wide protest !s 4 crime agai
Ity

ergy Commission
the threat to the
o be placed first.
r, but

a 4Mouncing the decision the U.S. Atomic En
sie meesident had taken into eect ih
e Amwent, but that U.S. “national security” ha
heat Cs spokesman said the test would not lead to a disaste

there were no guarantees. :
lh. © agedy of it is that it is our envir
ty countries bordering on the Pacific, w
Ong Culd strike all Pacific countries sh
Misisg ges the callousness with which the

onment, and that of all
hich are threatened. A
ould it occur. This fact
U.S. is pursuing its

test may already have

Y the tin :
Xen he time our readers get this paper the BS ey ude

"rate a Latest indications are that it cou

ermitting. :
Much “ther the ea which will be the largest ever pondugie?)
°ten| off an earthquake or tidal wave, Or whether ere -
Noy als Will escape at the time of the blast 1s of vital eo ee
©. But even if there is no immediate disaster the tes

Nau
iv .
"minal act against mankind.

A crime against humanity

Some scientists have pointed out that even if there is no
immediate disaster the huge amounts of radioactive poisons
released will remain in huge underground holes, and that ultimately
these will seep into the sea to be absorbed by fish and other sea life
and ultimately find their way into the world s food chain, poisoning
future generations as well as destroying vitally needed food.

The test is taking place not far from where the U.S. Pentagon has
dumped quantities of poison gas. No one is able to determine what
effect the blast will have on releasing these poisonous substances into
m9 Hen er a scientist pointed out that even if the blast does not
trigger an immediate earthquake its effect may be to weaken the
land fault that runs through the Aleutians and could facilitate a

i 5 quake. :
SE ett ee dangers to mankind, the U.S. president has
decided to go ahead. His motto is: ‘‘The world be damned. U.S.
. i me first.”

peak ance trade union official put it this week: ‘‘It becomes
increasingly difficult to accept our giant neighbor to the south when
he first sends us a big chunk of his economic problems, then imposes
wage guidelines which threaten to further undermine our standard

f living, then finally threatens to jeopardize our ecology and our
g - See AMCHITKA, pg. 12

ena 50
Casi cone >
Sin soe

LAST

15°

British Columbia has
never seen anything like it
before.

The outpouring of public op-
position to the U.S. nuclear test
at Amchitka is unprecedented in
the 100 year history of the
province.

The fight to stop the test has
won the support of all sections of

‘the population, has cut across

all clasS lines, and united the
people of this province around a
central issue as nothing has
before.

The unifying factor is the
underlying feeling that the issue
of survival itself is at stake if
these gigantic nuclear tests
continue.

Sparking the upsurge this week
against the test, and giving it
great depth and strength, was
the strong action taken last
weekend by the B.C. Federation
of Labor in calling for the
downing of tools by its 150,000
members on Wednesday,
November 3, between 11 and
11:30 a.m. in a ‘‘Shutdown for
Survival’’ demonstration.

The trade union movement and
B.C.’s working class have moved
into the lead of the powerful
campaign to demand Nixon
reverse his decision to go ahead
with the test this coming

‘Saturday, weather permitting.

As the PT was going to press
many industrial operations were
coming to a stop as workers
downed tools to protest the test.
Ships at sea were told by their
union to halt or slow down in
heavy seas to join the protest.
Logging camps, pulp mills,
sawmills, steel plants, mines,
shipyards, civic employees,
fishermen and shore-workers,
construction workers, electrical
workers, miners and others
acted in unison on the one
central theme: ‘‘Stop the test.”’

Despite a heavy downpour of
rain, a few thousand students
and adults attended the rally at
the U.S. Consulate Wednesday
to protest the blast. To loud
chants of ‘‘Stop The Bomb,”’ the
demonstration heard speakers
and folk singer Vera Johnson.

See STOP TEST, pg. 12

\