The Minneapolis Star Minneapolis, Minnesota Tuesday, October 03, 1961
Pacifists End March in Moscow
Moscow—(Reuters)—Thirty western pacifists, including 15 Americans, today staged a “silent vigil” in Moscow's Red square.
The hour-long demonstration in front of the Stalin-Lenin mausoleum was for six of the pacifists the climax of a 10-month peace march from San Francisco, Calif., to the Russian capital. A Thousand of Russians saw the traffic-stopping march, which at several stages had an escort of motorcycle police.
Russians Join
The pacifists were joined by about 100 Russians, who paraded behind banners calling for disarmament and an end to nuclear tests.
Soviet officials, who accompanied the pacifists through the city, first insisted they could only line up by the side of Red square but later permitted them to circulate freely.
However, the officials refused to permit the pacifists to speak to the crowd.
Other difficulties also were expected to arise between the Soviet peace committee and the pacifists.
Picketing Planned
Brad Lyttle, New York, one of the march leaders, said the committee does not know it yet, “but we intend to do some solid peaceful picketing.”
One of their targets for picketing was expected to be the Soviet defense ministry here.
Leaders of the group were obviously upset at being forbidden to make their speeches at the Lenin-Stalin tomb.
“We wanted to speak to the people, not just to reporters,” said Lyttle.
The marchers were dressed in blue jeans, baggy sweaters and tennis shoes.
‘You Made It, Kid’
Among those who marched all the way were Mrs. Regina Fischer, mother of Bobby Fischer, American chess champion.
Mrs. Scott Herrick, who married her husband on the march in Chicago, gave a hug to David Rich, 22, Center Tuftonboro, N.H. The Herricks and Rich all started in San Francisco.
George Willoughby, Philadelphia, Pa., a member of the Committee for Non-violent Action, one of the sponsors of the march, put his arm around Millie Gilbertsen, 37, St. Louis, Mo., and said “You made it, kid.”
