The decision of the International Socialists not to take part in the Chile solidarity demonstration on 4 November, marks another step downhill for that organisation. Ever since the coup 15 his done nothing to mobilise its membership in solidarity with the Chilean struggle. Indeed the Communist Party, stalinist though it is, seems to have a greater sense of inter nationalism than IS. Tale for example the first day of the coup. Every paper on the left, except one, led on Chille, (the Monuing Star carried it for five days). Socialist Worker led on seabhing at Chrysler, and Chile was tucked away at the foot of the back page. Agreed, the Chrydispute was a major event in the British class struggle, but only an economist sect would accord it comparable significance to the Chilean upheaval. This was followed by a humiliating experience for IS. Knowing that there was going to be a Chile demo, they decided to organise their own demonstration on African shootings. But, on finding 400 people behind the iS barmers, and 5,000 on the Chile demonstration, they were forced to rapidly scrawl new slogans, and join the Chile demo Instead. 15 daim that they did not participate on 4 November because they were denied a speaker. But no serious revalutionary organisation would abandon international solidarity activity over an organisational question such as this. The International Marxist Group was refused a speaker on the first Chile demonstration, but we did not walk away in a huff, We continued to carry out our responsibilities to the Chilean workers and peasants, and establisbed a position in the solidarity movement which made it impossible for the sectarians of the Communist Party to exclude us from Sunday's platform.
But everyone knows that the IS is doing nothing about Chile - except morales They were not even present at the Chile Solidarity Campaign Committee meeting at which the question of speakers was discused, This made it easy for the CP to exclude them.
Nor does their claim that participatica would have meant: accepting conditions preventing us from putting formand revo Jutionary politics, stand up. The main slogans of the 1,200 strong IMG contingent were: "Down with the Military Junta - Forward to Workers Power, No Aid -Trade; Black all Chilean Goods, "Solidarity with the Armed Resistance, Armed Road Only Road" and 'Only Solution -hercucian, ne solu copies of Red freckly, 200 pamphlets and 100 copies of our theoretical maga zine international, all of which discussed at great length the role of the CP in Chile and its reflection in the politics of the CPs Internationally.
Comrade Tariq Ali in his speech made it clear that there was ne general political agreement amongst those involved in the demonstration, and that if every Chilear wurker and peasant had had a gun there would bave heen no coup.
IS does oot me the need far solidarity actiour with Chille, because their unly concern is with the short term capital they can make out of the Chilean catas trophe against the CP. As one Labour Party branch secretary suid at an IMG public meeting on Chile: The attitude of the IS and the SLL is that they an glad the coup has taken pince, su thai they can take a few dies at the CPCH This makes me sick. What Tum concerne about is how to solidarise with the strug gle which still goes on in Chile, and ensure that if they have lost the battle they win the war.
Part of the task of revolutionaries is to draw out the political lessons of Chile for the vanguard, and this must inchide a critique of the CP, but the pre-requisite for being able to do this is to be involved in actse solidarity.
I5 does not have the politics to deal either with the events in Chile, or the reaction to them in the international working class.
It is beyond 15% comprehension that an international event like Chile could pro duo a massive working class reaction bike the 4 November demonstration, which was composed in its majority of workers and contained a larger number of trad Union hanners than any other demonstra tion in recent years, apart from thoe against the Industrial Relations Act Immediately after 1968 IS's ideas might bave had some slight connection with reality - the working class unz mobilised mainly on trade union questions. But that situation is changing fast, and wor kors are now taking up a whole moge of political issues. 15 wil be left tailing behind this process, as it is today on th question of Chule.
----- pull-quotes -----
Exam schools occupied in Oxford