Persons of Less Interest Than They Think

In 1966, Arthur Augustus Calwell, leader of the federal Labor Party, was slightly injured in a failed assassination attempt as he was leaving an anti-conscription rally at the Mosman Town Hall. One of those who restrained the would-be assassin was left-wing activist and bookseller Bob Gould. Two years later, students from Monash University stoned the Melbourne offices of the US Consulate. Later, the Attorney-General’s offices in Sydney were occupied by protesting students, as were administrative buildings at Monash University.

Some of these incidents are covered in the second program of Haydn Keenan’s Persons of Interest series, shown first at the Melbourne International Film Festival and later, nationally, on SBS television. A short time after all these events, Calwell stated:

I haven’t taken part in a demonstration in recent times because an anarchist crowd of students have taken over and it’s no use appealing for peaceful demonstrations … most of them who are…