Edinburgh: Conscientious Objectors Day Vigil

A vigil was held on Thursday 15 May, International Conscientious Objectors Day, from 4 – 6 pm at the Mound in Edinburgh commemorating Scottish conscientious objectors of the First World War and honouring conscientious objectors to all wars past and present.

Second World War COs shared their stories and descendants of First World War CO’s shared recollections of grandfathers who made that choice and lived with the consequences, including loss of employment, repeated imprisonment, forced labour, vilification and personal attacks. Brief accounts of about a dozen Scottish COs and the names of 235 Edinburgh COs and of some Scottish COs who died during the war were read out and white flowers laid in their memory.

The vigil, organised by the Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre and Fellowship of Reconciliation Scotland also acknowledged women and men in the wider anti-war movement during the First World War and all wars. The names of conscientious objectors currently imprisoned in several countries including Eritrea, Turkey, Israel and South Korea were also read out and the vigil called for universal recognition of the right to refuse to kill and an end to war as a means of resolving conflict.

Elisabeth Allen of North Berwick spoke about her grandfather John Searson, a Glasgow librarian who was involved in the Socialist Sunday Schools of the Church of Scotland and as a conscientious objector was supported by the Independent Labour Party. She said “I learned from my grandfather the importance of speaking out for what you believe and for what is right. But you must be preparedto pay the cost.”

Joyce Taylor-Richards, of St Andrews, told about her grandfather John S Taylor who was an engineer but gave it up to become the Organiser of the Glasgow Independent Labour Party in Glasgow. He was a leading spokesman against the war and travelled the country. Tragically after addressing an anti war rally in Trafalgar Square, he travelled home exhausted suffering from poison which had entered his system after a tooth extraction. He died from this at the age of 31.

Andrew Farrar of Edinburgh spoke about his grandfather who was a conscientious objector to both the First World War and the Second World War. He was not able to continue working as a teacher and wnet onto become Secretary of the Northern Friends Peace Board from 1942. Andrew.

Portobello Quaker David Turner who was a conscientious objector during the Second World War talked of being influenced by Gandhi and the principles of nonviolence.

Rev David Mumford, Convener of Fellowship of Reconciliation Scotland, said: "The Fellowship of Reconciliation Scotland cherishes the memory of its earliest members who because of their Christian faith and belief in the power of love, rejected the way of war. The churches generally have not always and still do not accept that refusing to kill in war is an essential part of being a Christian.’ He spoke to of the FOR’s understanding, expressed so clearly by Martin Luther King, that “peace requires justice”.

Lesley Orr of the Fellowship of Reconciliation explained that “The vigil was held at The Mound because it was a gathering point for opposition to the First World War. Men and women who gathered here to oppose the slaughter of that terrible conflict. Men, paid in money or with drink were sent to break up those gatherings. We stand on the shoulders of those who opposed the war at great personal risk and cost.”

Brian Larkin, Coordinator of the Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre said “There were nearly 20,000 conscientious objectors in the First World War. Some had their claims for exemption accepted, some did not. Some accepted duty with the Non Combatant Corps, some served with the Friends Ambulance Unit, some were conscripted, refused to fight and were court martialled multiple times, subjected to field punishments which constituted torture and were imprisoned up to two years. In prison some continued to refuse to
cooperate, were placed in solitary confinement and were force fed when they went on hunger strike. 73 men died in prison or as a result of imprisonment.”

Penny Stone opened the event leading the gathering in a rendition of Down by the Riverside and the Edinburgh choir Protest in Harmony sang the new song “Tell men the Names”, written by Jane Lewis.

See also: ICN 15 May 2014 - Remembering those who said no - Conscientious Objectors of WWI www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=24745