The prosecution spent 51 days trying to prove them guilty; the jury took only 90 minutes to find them innocent. That about sums up the extent of the ruling class defeat when the BWNIC 14 were acquitted last week on charges of conspiracy and incitement of soldiers to desert This victory for the working class movements was camee not tust oecausc of the absurdity of the prosecution's case, but because or te sondarity campaign waged within the labour and progressive movements. The right to particularly those enter somes -going to the North of Ireland - was defended in trade union branches, student organisations, and also by some Labour MPs. The publication in the left press or the leaner wiica me prosecu tion declared illegal was a major act of solidarity, which displayed the determination of the labour movement as a whole to defend the right of free speech on Tenu Two weeks before the acquittal, the meeting on the Prevention of Terrorism Act in Manchester; they viciously assaulted some of those at the meeting, but were unable to stop it from going ahead. The attempt of the Labour Government to silence the BWNIC supporters was another example of such thuggery, this time dressed up in legal terms. And agam uns autempt to mar pose silence on any critics of British imperialism's role in Ireland has failed.
But hardly had the BWNIC defendants left the dock than the British establishment was launching a further attempt to stifle those who expose its role in Ire land. The packed meeting in Conway Hall addressed last week by Bernadette McAliskey was branded even before it vegan as "provocative" by the London Evening News. A Tory MP was reported as commenting: "I would like to know whether this meeting is legal."
It is not surprising that the MP was Wendy Butlin, one of the BWNIC 14 of the vast armoury of weapons allishment to silence critics on Ireland those who are trying to stop the left sigr tinue to bring home to the working speaking at the Conway Hall meeting.
unaware of the legal position in view ready in the hands of the British estab- the FIA, me ban on taragar square and so on. But we have a message for in this country from drawing attention to the repressive role of British imperialism. You can attack our meetings, you can try us in your courts, you can smear and bluster; but we will not be silent, for we regard such attacks as a of your weakness, not ours.
In particular, Red Weekly will conthe Falls Road? class of this country what British imperialism is doing in Ireland. In particular we will continue to demand: self-determination for the Irish, troons dut now!
What is the nature of the reRed Weekly