1968 battles outside US Embassy, Grosvenor Square, London

MARCH:

1968: Anti-Vietnam demo turns violent

More than 200 people have been arrested after thousands of demonstrators clashed in an anti-Vietnam war protest outside the United States embassy in London.
The St John Ambulance Brigade said it treated 86 people for injuries. Fifty were taken to hospital including up to 25 police officers.

The trouble followed a big rally in Trafalgar square, when an estimated 10,000 demonstrated against American action in Vietnam and British support for the United States.

The mood at the rally was described as good humoured. The violence broke out when the protesters marched to the US embassy in Grosvenor Square.

The embassy was surrounded by hundreds of police. They stood shoulder to shoulder to cordon off the part of the square closest to the embassy.

Tensions rose as the crowd refused to back off and mounted officers rode at the demonstrators.

The protesters broke through the police ranks onto the lawn of the embassy, tearing up the plastic fence and uprooting parts of a hedge.

During a protracted battle, stones, earth, firecrackers and smoke bombs were thrown.

One officer was treated for a reported serious spinal injury, another for a neck injury.

One officer had his hat knocked off and was struck continuously on the back of the head with a stick from a banner as he clung, head down, to his horse's neck.

Earlier the actress Vanessa Redgrave was allowed to enter the embassy with three supporters to deliver a protest.

She had been one of the speakers at the rally in Trafalgar Square.

Labour MP Peter Jackson, has said he will be tabling a private question for answer by the Home Secretary about what he called "police violence".

He told The Times newspaper: "I was particularly outraged by the violent use of police horses, who charged into the crowd even after they had cleared the street in front of the embassy."

OCTOBER:

1968: Police clash with anti-war protesters

Trouble has flared in Grosvenor Square, London, after an estimated 6,000 marchers faced up to police outside the United States Embassy.
The protesters had broken away from another, bigger, march against US involvement in Vietnam but were confronted by a wall of police.

The breakaway group, led by the Maoist Britain-Vietnam Solidarity Front was almost thwarted by the march organisers who were aware of the plan and feared violence would erupt.

Once in Grovesnor Square the protesters formed a human chain and charged at the police wall but failed to break through and, after three hours of stalemate, they all dispersed.

Petition to Downing Street

In the streets surrounding the square fireworks and other missiles were thrown but no injuries were caused and police considered them to be isolated incidents.

The rest of the march, organised by the Vietnam Solidarity Campaign (VSC), continued peacefully to Hyde Park.

At Downing Street, Tariq Ali of the VSC, handed in a petition, signed by 75,000 to ask the government to stop supporting the US in its war against Vietnam.

The Home Secretary, James Callaghan, praised the demonstration saying "self-control was shown by the mass of the demonstrators".

He also praised the discipline and restraint shown by police.

"I doubt if this kind of demonstration could have taken place so peacefully in any other part of the world," he said.

Security for the march was high. A thousand-strong team of police was stationed outside the US Embassy and policemen lined the route of the march with back-up following in coaches.

The turnout for the march was around 25,000, half the number predicted by police and organisers.

But, far from being disappointed at the low turnout Mr Ali said; "This is not the end. This is the beginning of the campaign."

(Both BBC News)