Anita Racet Defence Two More Martyrs Artor Free

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British labour movement responds to their struggle against . the Thatcher So far four prisoners have died on hunger strike in the notorious Long Kesh camp, demanding simply that they be recognised as political prisoners, jailed for waging the struggle to drive: the British out of Ireland In every case the Tory daim that these men were isolated criminals has been crushed underfoot by huge demonstrations of popular Bobby Sands MP drew 30,000 votes to win the by-election in Fermanagh/ South Tyrone. And over 70,000 people flooded the streets of Catholic Belfast to attend his funeral.

Francis: Hughes was buried amongst a throng of 50,000 people who travelled the rural village of Bellaghy, South Derry.

And tens of thousands turned out for the funerals of Ray MoCreesh in South Armagh and INLA militant Patsy O'Hara in Derry. Their struggle has rallied and united the nationalist population in the fight for the liberation of the six counties from imperialist rule.

Youth and Catholic workers have taken to the streets in fury at the deaths of those who have championed the republican cause -and been met by • savage repression from police and army units.

Plastic bullets have been fired wildly by police and army. They killed 14-year old Julie Livingstone, 12year old Caro! Anne Kelly and 45 year old Harry Duffy. They severely wounded 15-year old Dominic Marron-and around 100 others have suffered severe eye, head and body injuries requiring hospital treatment. Countless more have been wounded, beaten or harassed on the streets since the death of Bobby Sands.

This brutality now sluwly percolating even through the extensive censorship of the British press, has shocked and outraged many Labour Party activists and trade unionists.

Yet still the leaders of the British labour movement cling to their craven policy of support for the imperialist repression in Ireland-reptession which can only increase the death toll and prolong the agony of the Irish people.

The Thatcher government's obduracy has made it a pariah among international governments. It has been condemned by governments in Europe, by socialist and communist parties and trade unions around the worldbut still is not condemned by the British Labour Party!

The British working class has a duty to act to halt the bloodshed, by forcing the immediate withdrawal of funeral of Francis Hughes British troops from the six counties of Ireland.

As a vital part of this fight, full labour movement support must be mobilised for the five demands of the prisoners. Four men have already died for these demands: let us work all-out to rally the support of millions to ensure that they are won!

Fascist taunts and jeers at the 15,000 antifascist marchers in Coventry last Satu rday turned to shrieks of fear as a section of the marchers went to get them.

The mood of the crowds of onlookers turned to respect when they saw the way the police, charging in to rescue the fascists, were put to flight by a shower of sticks and cans from the marchers.

The solution of youth and workers to fascist violence is firmly on the agenda in Coventry!

The monster rally was called by several organisations but coordinated through their representatives on the umbrella body the Coventry Committee Against Racism.

Collaborators It is through this committee that the Labour and Communist Party politicians, religious leaders and class collaborators of the black community and labour movement can be found, busy negotiating with the However, even their best efforts at organising the most ineffective and easily policed route could not dampen the determination of the marchers.

The Committee for AntiRacist Defence Squads was able to go a long way towards neutralising the negative impact of the reformists by the consistent work they have done amongst youth and in the labour movement.

By arguing for the establishment of a network of anti-racist defence squads, they have been able to harness the energy and militancy of youth and workers and direct away from the gloom and despondency of the reformists.

Political fight

Besides the urgent need for the establishment of antiracist defence squads to stop the fascist campaign of violence, the need to take up the political struggle for workers self defence inside the labour movement is as important.

Fascist propaganda works and reworks its lie that it is the blacks who are responsible for the 14% (predicted 20% this year) unemployment in Coventry.

It is irrelevant that the number of unemployed exceeds the total black workforce by five times, if the fascists' lies only come up against the tired old alibis of the trade union bureaucrats and Labour Party right wingers excusing their own refusal to fight the bosses' attacks.

Workers self defence is an integral part of thé necessary political offensive against the labour movement traitors. The treachery of the reformists on Saturday even extended to fingering alleged "trouble-makers" amongst the marchers to the police.

Black self defence cannot be artificially divorced from workers self defence, because it is at work and on their way to and from work that thousands of black trade unionists are most at risk from fascist attack.

Unions must take up the fight to ensure that the many black women who work at night, the many black public transport adequate protection and that the bosses be made to make provision for workers' self-defence!

If anyone needed convincing, Saturday proved that increased policing is not the answer.

Arrests

The thousand extra policemen drafted into the area protected the fascists, and arrested over seventy anti-fascists.

The authority of the state and its institutions help breed fascism-they are no defence.

Workers self defence squads cannot simply be declared. They must be fought for, by posing labour movement solutions for antiracist and fascist defence.

Teachers must organise blacking of fascist students through the unions, school students must build NUSS branches in their schools, those on the dole must build tinemployed workers' unions with which to fight.

Blame the bosses not the blacks, smash their fascist race attacks!