As the marchers assembled, police insisted that the demonstration could only take half of the avenue. The march was delayed as the participants chanted, "We want the whole avenue." By the time the marchers reached 49th Street, the entire avenue was taken, and police were forced to reroute traffic.

Banners urging women to participate in the Nov. 20 demonstrations in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco for abortion law repeal were also highly visible in the crowd.

The dominant theme of the demonstration, injected by the leadership of NOW, whose main spokeswoman was Betty Friedan, was for "political power." However, the primary means projected for winning political power was through gaining influence in the Democratic and Republican parties. This approach is self- defeating, since these parties are incapable of representing the interests of women.

September 7, 1946
The American Imperialists, who are supposed to be "uprooting feudalism" and "bringing democracy" to Japan, revealed their true reactionary face when on August 29 an order was issued by Gen. MacArthur in Tokyo prohibiting "strikes, walkouts or other work stoppages which are inimical to the objectives of the military occupation."

In accordance with this dictatorial decree, MacArthur directed the puppet Japanese authorities to break a three-day strike of seamen at Sasebo. This was coupled with a threat to use American occupation troops if Japanese authorities found "police force" necessary to man the five ships that were tied up. The order and the threat sufficed to smash the strike.

On August 28, MacArthur had issued another decree banning "noisy, disorderly demonstrations" and threatened to put them down with American troops if this were deemed "necessary."

The Japanese Government immediately got tough with unionized employees threatening railway workers with "serious results" if they tried to demonstrate "the union's strength."  
 
 
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