From Leicester Mercury
incident: The ABC Cinema, Belgrave Gate, Leicester, around July 1965 and, right, a 1968 film advert
Although, it seems, nobody could confirm if the faded wording “Hang Johnson”, sprayed on a wall in Leicester’s London Road, is 1960s graffiti against US President Lyndon Johnson, I was interested to learn that 45 years ago, an anti-Vietnam War peace protest almost led to a riot in the city centre.
Reader Tony Shelley, of Leicester, remembers a demonstration at the old ABC Cinema, on Belgrave Gate: “It was showing John Wayne’s movie, The Green Berets, which was appalling pro-American propaganda.
“I was only 14, but I’m sure I didn’t dream it up.”
You certainly didn’t, Tony, as Councillor Bill Shelton confirms.
“I went with a friend on Sunday night, October 13, 1968, to see the movie,” writes Bill, of Leicester.
“John Wayne was a staunch right-winger and supporter of the American involvement in Vietnam.
“My friend and I were opposed to the war but being avid filmgoers, went to see the film.
“After the film’s first 15 minutes, a demonstration broke out in the middle of the cinema and police came running in and dragged the protesters out.
“The police and some of the audience were very rough with them. My friend and I vocally protested against the violence – only then to be threatened ourselves!
“Although we were against the war, we were also against censorship and would have supported a demonstration outside the cinema, not inside.
“Many years later, I was teaching Film and Politics for the Workers Education Association, at Vaughan College, and related this story to the students. The next week, one of them brought in a photocopy of the Leicester Mercury report.”
The report, which made front-page headlines, makes interesting reading.
“Four youths, aged between 17 and 20, were each fined £20 (£275 today) and bound over in the sum of £50 (£680) for 12 months at Leicester City magistrates’ court today, following an organised demonstration at the ABC Cinema, Belgrave Gate, Leicester, on Sunday evening.
“Mr Keith Lacy, prosecuting, said the organised demonstration began with students around the auditorium shouting slogans such as “American Nazis” and “Stop this film.” They also started hand clapping.
“Members of the audience became aggressive because their entertainment had been ruined. It is due to the police and other members of the public they did not suffer serious injury,” said Mr Lacy about the demonstrators.
“Before the court, was a 17-year-old, of Guthlaxton Street, Leicester, an orderly at Leicester’s Hillcrest Hospital; two 19-year-old students of Villiers Hall, Oadby; and a 20-year-old, of Portman Street, Leicester.
“They were bound over on a charge of conducting themselves in a noisy, disorderly and turbulent manner to the annoyance of patrons and in breach of the peace. They were fined £20 each on a further charge of using abusive language.
Read the full article from Leicester Mercury.