Saturday when they forced the National Front to divert from its intended rally at Speakers Conser, Hyde Park, to the out-of-the-way Lincoln's Inn Ficids.
Four thousand demonstrators massed al Speakers Corner determined to stop the NF holding its rally. The AUEW. National Union nf Students, International Marxist Group und the Consmunist Party were in evidence, while the International Socialists left Speaker Corner to "harass' the Front along its route.
The police were laced with a stark choice. Either to disperse the anti-fascists and assembled trades unionists as had been done in Red Lion Square, or to divert the NF and thus recognise the power of the anti-fascists in denying the NF. The right lo organise and use the freedom of the streets to demonfilth.
The demonstrators were obviously in a determined mood. And this time, learning from Red Lion Square and intent on preventing any more Kevin Gateiys, The demonstrators were clearly prepared to defend themselves against the police. Large numbers wore protective clothing ATS BERETS It was this faut which forced the police to lind a legal cover for diverting the Front They insisted on a bond of between E5,000 and pr persons as a result of any clash The militancy of the occupying forces was such that Pat Arrowsmithon the run from prison - was able to address the rally in complete safety despite the efforts of over a hundred The National Front was march ing under the slogan of "Smash the TRA. By playing on this theme they hoped tn exploit the lears and backwardness of the British working. class on the trich issue.
CP ATTEMPTS SPLIT
The essential task of the left on the demonstration was therefore to show that the agitation of the NF on the issue of reland was directiy linked to its fascistic intentions. In ather words to show to the many workers who actually share the policies of the NF on reland and on racisin that the very fact of the NF marching to peddle these views was in itself an incitement and provocation to the workers movement, while the holding of these views leaves the way open for fascist forces.
The Communist Party clearly did not accept this. Indeed they did all in their power to disperse the demonstration well before the NF was due to arrive. By insisting that the démonstration should be peace tul al all costs-even at the cost of capitulation-they actually reinforce the morale of the fascists and de facto place all the blame for the violence on the assembled trades unionists Fortunately their attempts to split the demo in this manner were en abysmal failure. Virtually no-one left Speakers Corner when the CP E10,000 in case of damage to properiy closed up shop, ended the rally, and appealed for everyone to go home.
In the event the occupation was peacetul. But this was because it was made absolutely clear that the demonstrators saw the NI march as a provocation, were determined to allow thei no platform and were organised to defend chemselves against the police if there was any attempt lo disperse them. This is why the NF were diverted THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIALISTS Clearly the key objective for those who supported the No Platform" position was to bo in Speakers' Corner waging the political fight against the CP and other reformists. The action of the 15 in deserting Speakers Corner and ducking the fight with the teformists was therrore incorrect.
The IS, as they had done in Leicester, were quite prepared to hand the miss of the demonstration over to the Communist Party and not to confront the CP directly ority in all circumstances of physical attacks on the NF i essential threat of th, ascists at this stage is their political impact inside the warking class on those issues on which the working class is weakest, not their repressive role.
effect of the IS actions along another path than they had intended was excellent. As a supplement to the mass action in Hyde Park, the harassment, goose-steppings and Nazi Par Arrowsmith, on the run from jail, was the first to speak trom the platform set up by the IMG after the Communist Party had called on the demonstrators to disperse. She told the crowd that she had originally been invited to speak from the official platform, anly to find that they wanted her to play down the question of freland. Pat rightly stressed in her spoech that to fudge this issue was to play into the fascists hands.
fascist orginisation La minority Equally, 15's insistence on the pricorrect. The However, the objective propaganda Sober, workers" organisations. at the union beadquarters, 314 Gray'"
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