The Progressive Youth Movement (PYM) erupted onto the scene in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Inspired by the controversial protests in other parts of the western world, they used innovative and direct action in order to generate publicity for their cause. The PYM focussed mainly on the issue of the Vietnam War and other foreign issues also, not just the ones that seemed to pose a threat to New Zealand. However, the youth movement was very much formed in response to the rigid social conservatism that pervaded New Zealand at the time and were viewed with much distaste by New politicians and government officials.
On November 22nd 1969, The Evening Post published a statement by the National Candidate for Palmerston North who claimed that the PYM was "no different from, and certainly no better than, the Hitler Youth."
This kind of statement from a politician in New Zealand highlights the notoriety of the PYM as a radical youth political group in New Zealand.
There were different branches of the PYM across the country, but mainly in the city centres of New Zealand - Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch- but also in Whangarei, Hamilton, Rotorua, Kawerau, Hawkes Bay and Palmerston North. Each PYM branch was autonomous and each varied in their protest methods and approach to the Vietnam War movement. The Auckland unit was the largest and longest running PYM from 1965-1977 and gained much notoriety as an exceedingly active protest group which attracted many young people. The Auckland PYM was very much at the core of most protest events in Auckland and pushed movement in a more radical direction.
The Auckland PYM was (according to Richard Suggate of the Wellington PYM) "most dominated by the Communist Party of New Zealand (CPNZ) and the Christchurch PYM the least. In practice, the Christchurch PYM was the most spontaneous and non-hierarchical". It is also worth noting that the Wellington PYM was the only one that was campus-based and whilst the Auckland PYM was a working class youth group, both Christchurch and Wellington were worker-student groups.
On November 22nd 1969, The Evening Post published a statement by the National Candidate for Palmerston North who claimed that the PYM was "no different from, and certainly no better than, the Hitler Youth."
This kind of statement from a politician in New Zealand highlights the notoriety of the PYM as a radical youth political group in New Zealand.
There were different branches of the PYM across the country, but mainly in the city centres of New Zealand - Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch- but also in Whangarei, Hamilton, Rotorua, Kawerau, Hawkes Bay and Palmerston North. Each PYM branch was autonomous and each varied in their protest methods and approach to the Vietnam War movement. The Auckland unit was the largest and longest running PYM from 1965-1977 and gained much notoriety as an exceedingly active protest group which attracted many young people. The Auckland PYM was very much at the core of most protest events in Auckland and pushed movement in a more radical direction.
The Auckland PYM was (according to Richard Suggate of the Wellington PYM) "most dominated by the Communist Party of New Zealand (CPNZ) and the Christchurch PYM the least. In practice, the Christchurch PYM was the most spontaneous and non-hierarchical". It is also worth noting that the Wellington PYM was the only one that was campus-based and whilst the Auckland PYM was a working class youth group, both Christchurch and Wellington were worker-student groups.
Auckland PYM "Youth Manifesto", 1969. According to Bill Lee of the Auckland PYM, it was a toned down version of a leaflet that was originally written by Auckland anarchists. The PYM swapped "fuck" in the original for "damn".
|
Auckland PYM "Youth Manifesto" - translated for an easier read: Damn your war Damn your petty morality Damn your closed eyes when a peasant's guts spills into Vietnam's bomb soaked soil - and open wide when someone says damn Damn your wealthy churches all praying for the hungry and getting fat Damn your marriage - we'll love when we want to Damn your courts - rich man's justice is our punishment Damn your politicians - representing big egos and small minds Damn your parliamentary kindergarten games - committees, sessions, legislation, weak jokes, acts Damn your political bulldust Damn your businessmen Damn your money - made at home while other men went to war Damn your investment - in other men's sweat Damn your lies, hypocrisy, split tongues, double standards Damn your sterile parrot learning education Damn your useless bureaucracy, dumb laws, arrogant cops Damn your human suppression, industrial production, aspirin, sleeping pills Damn your monied class politics, your churches, your wars, your system, your filth You offer us your world It stinks - and you aren't making it any better so Damn off and let us try - we are the young and its our world |