The Conmanian Party's paper Morning Stur carried an article in its 'Student World' column on 22 March artacking the positions of the International Marxist Group in the recent struggle at Kent University.
In this article John McGeown, President of Kent Srudentr Unian and IMG mittent, replies.
LET ME CHOU DECE BE Essex and Kent Unherities, conflicts should adopt in the fight aguinst victimiLast Friday's article on Kent in the Morning Star is onis the latest of a serie of attacks made by the Communist Party on the stradegy suppurted by ING malitants in the student movement.
But, when subbed to relity. the line of the Communist Party has proved to be highly dangerous for the outcome of the various struggles. Take for example, the students, by taking direct action through the occupalpus of the main administra tion block, were able to challenge the decision of the Humanities Faculty to expel a Communist Party militant, Jee Cotter In the coarse of the occupagon students worked hard to win over college можетя впо зсаоете ватт, аскрете тле attemposnf the Unhereity to use the trade unions as a tool for their own The very plain demands that the ING and the mass of malitant stadents fought around were 'Cotter in-Chilver out' (Chilver was Dean of Hamanities) and No Victimisalions.' Vet the CP claim that me SOUL THEATRE UTENSOLE MOOS which could not be achieved without the ACCID TOE POUTERESTE As it happens, the outcome of the struggle was precisely in line with our demands: Cotter has boen reinstated and .. majority opposed to manoeuvres' voted to propose to the plenary Jestion of the Conference later that afternoon to call a demonstration FIREWORKS But, when the conference resum u, Steve Parry failed to put the views the Solidarity workshop we would go of the workshon to the conference.
Tarq Ali challenged Parry's presentation, and argued that Conference be for 5 May allowed to decide on the question of the demonstration. The chairman, meeting. Dick Etheridge, refused to allow a discussion and despite thee reguests by Ali refused to atlaw the conferenco te afe on whether they wanted the IE was clear that a majority of the 250 people present were opposed to Eth eridge's Juanoeuvres, Delegates Trom the Huyton Labour Party and the Peace Pledge Union rose to chullenge the chairman's handling of the conference, but were not allowed to speak. Paoed with this fact Tarig Ali, ou beball of the IMG delegates, appealed to all those in favour of a demonstration to move to the gallery CHARLES HOWARD Chilver has resigned. At last check the benargeois stale was found to be intact.
Ooe cun only asome that what the CP is trying to say is that the mass of students cannot be imoled in militant direct action. Such a criticism would be more in line with their actual practice.
For, at a very crucial stage of the occupation, when thete were the begin ning of a murement from the right far a refercadum, the Broad Left members of the Executive withdrew from the occupation, and pushed for an emergency meeting of the students" union executive, to be followed by an emergency meeting of the union which would end the occupaton In the face of an increasing range of attacks being mounted by the University, there was little that activists could have achiered without the use of the occupy tion-the main contre of resistance and the organising base for the campaign. The Broad Left, in splitting off from the centre of the struggle (which directly vided fuel for an opposing body a sweets, nor seriousy committed pe defending Cotter, who wanted the succeeded in their manoeuvre, but were left with no alternative proposals for hos the campeign could be carried on. They must have been amazed to bear that the University was actually backing dows and reinslating Cotter. Gradgingly, ties Have admitted it was due po the success of the occupation.
Speaking for the IMG at the So Jocol, no made liar Eat:
(i We bad not split from the Chile Solidarity Campaign, but woukl fight for its democratisation.
(ii) Bearing in mind the vote at ahead and organise a demonstration These points were agreed to by the THE FUTURE How the Chile Solidarity Cam paigo developa lo the future remains to be seen. The IMG is in favour of united work on this question, hut we will not tolerate bureaucratic manipulation of the campaign by any organ sation, It tne Cl wants to collaborate with other working class and socialist orginisations, they should abandon their sectarian practices, which ure pot # very coticing example of how things would be in Chile if the Chilean CP were totally in control