Witch hunt against rcner

Scan page 12

new and sinister form of witch-hunt has been. launched in Oxford Singled out for attack are four socialists who participated in the October 20 Provisional Sinn Fein. demonstration through the town, together with the march organiser.

Backed by a number of local union branches, the 600-strong march was called to support the 'H' Block blanket protest, in which Irish republican prisoners; are demanding the restoration of political status.

Fascists who had threatened to break up the march were kept at bay by tight stewarding.

Now an expensively-produced A3-size poster, bearing photographs, names, addresses, telephone numbers and workplaces of all five victims has been issued in a clear attempt to whip up reactionary violence and political hostility against them.

Paid £10

Copies of the poster have been posted to their neighbours, the local press, major companies in Oxford, and, according to the poster, made available to 'General public, Oxford; 2nd Battalion Parachute Regt., Aldershot, and the Limbless Servicemen's Association"

In addition, teams of distributors have been paid £10 a time to hand out thousands of copies of the poster on the gates of British Leyland's Cowley car plant.

SATURDAY DECEMBER 8 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The poster asks the question "Dou you know these people?"

It goes on:

"On the 20th of October people marched through the streets of Oxford in support of the IRA. Most of us looked on in disgust and amazement and wondered who were these IRA sympathisers. Well we thought we would tell you"

Of course many of those who marched were socialists, who did so as a result of support for the 'H' Block struggle and opposition to British imperialism rather than from agreement with the politics and methods of the IRA.

The Workers Socialist League, while fighting for a Trotskyist programme and policy in Ireland, nevertheless defends the right of republican and socialist forces in Ireland to struggle, arms in hand against the military repression of British imperialism.

The poster, though anonymously produced by extreme right wing forces, obviously relied on the aid of an as yet unknown ''finger man" with knowledge of the Oxford labour movement.

| Nor is it the first such antiIRA witch-hunt to arise from the march.

Within days of the demonstration, elaborately printed leaflets almed at whipping up hostility among trade unionists to branch leaderships that had supported the march were handed out-also by paid agents —outside local workplaces.

Oxford's Trades Council President, John Power also sought the ear of the anti-union Oxford Journal to give a lying statement denouncing those same branches and trade unionists and threatening action against them at Trades Council.

Now wealthy reactionaries are attempting to incite violence against people whose sole "crime" was to participate in an anti-imperialist demonstration.

There is no doubt that as the Tory government attacks the working class, witch-hunts of all kinds will increase-as the Blunt affair, the Robinson sacking and the strikebreaking at Charing Cross Hospital have shown.

As the war of liberation in Ireland challenges military rule, those workers who correctly oppose that war and fight for the withdrawal of British troops must prepare not only for a hard fight in the labour movement: they must now be on their guard against violent provocations orchestrated by right wing or fascist forces.

SOCIALIST PRESS

We regret to announce that the price of Socialist Press will be 20p per issue from next week. The price rise has been made necessary by a 20% increase in our printing bilt. Socialist Press has remained at 15p for two years and in that time we have absorbed two increases in printing costs but we are unable to do so any longer.