Double Seven Day scuffle

Double Seven Day scuffle

The Double Seven Day Scuffle was a physical altercation on July 7, 1963, in Saigon, South Vietnam. It occurred during a period of popular unrest by the Buddhist majority against the Roman Catholic rule of President Ngô Đình Diệm. The journalists were taken away for questioning on suspicion of attacking policemen.

About Double Seven Day scuffle in brief

Summary Double Seven Day scuffleThe Double Seven Day Scuffle was a physical altercation on July 7, 1963, in Saigon, South Vietnam. It occurred during a period of popular unrest by the Buddhist majority against the Roman Catholic rule of President Ngô Đình Diệm. The journalists were taken away for questioning on suspicion of attacking policemen. After their release, the journalists went to the US embassy to complain about their treatment. Their appeals were dismissed, as was a direct appeal to the White House. Through the efforts of US Ambassador Frederick Nolting, the assault charges laid against the journalists were subsequently dropped. The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and photographer Malcolm Browne took photographs of Peter Arnett’s bloodied face, which were published in newspapers worldwide. The incident occurred during an hour-long religious ceremony at Chanatareansey Pagoda in the north of Saigon. The Buddhists did not resist, but Arnett and Browne began taking photos of the confrontation. David Halberstam, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the crisis, broke his camera and broke his man’s nose.

The police, who were loyal to Ngo Dinh Nhu, punched Arnett in the nose, and the quarrel quickly ended after David Halmerstam counterattacked and caused the secret police to retreat. It was the ninth anniversary of the ascension to power of Diἡm’s son-in-law, Ngô  ùnh Nhu, as Prime Minister of the State of Vietnam. In October 1955, following a fraudulent referendum, Diῳ established the Republic of Vietnam, generally known as South Vietnam, and declared himself President. In May 1963, the government decided to selectively invoke a law, prohibiting the display of religious flags, by banning the use of the Buddhist flag on Vesak, the birthday of Gautama Buddha. One week earlier, the Vatican flag had been flown at a celebration for Archbishop Ngô ünh Thục, Diành’s brother. The protests increased in magnitude. The most notable of these was the self-immolation of Thích Quảng Đức on June 11, which was iconically photographed by the media and became a negative symbol of the Diônh régime.