ONE HUNDRED and seventy militants gathered Saturday at Conference on Revolutionary Unity organised by former members of the Socialist Workers Party. Its decisions registered an important advance for all those fighting for creation of a unified and democratic revolutionary organisation. BRIAN GROGAN reports.
remarkable event. This is a time when syndicalist and economist notions of developing the clas roosived severe setbacks, What is needed, more than ever before, are militants with political and trade-usion Squatters -Upping the ante FOLLOWING THE first use of the new Criminal Trespais Beddoe in Battersea — he was Chat 00d *resisting eviction" - a campaign is way to get the charge dropped In. Wandswarth London, the Lahour Parly anu Trades Councu bave gone on record against the which is seen as the thin end of a will be all occupations.
WHELICI by SLUCILIN workers tighring redundancies. But the council in Wandswonh started the evictions in the first place.
Apari from motions to Battersea police to drop Die charges, support organised for a demonstration Court on February 22nd.
experience capable of educating those who lack this experience. And here was present a large bulk of the former cadre of the largest organisation Tar-lefi TREATS AT BOTE WILLE! The decisions these militants break all sectarianism. They decided to the work towards the creation of an Alliancent a recall conference in Jume. The conference were 1o be: *a) to maintain and develop the positive aspects of the IS polities as part of the wider development ol socialist politics at this time. bito work for the creation of revolutionary organisation with the IMG, Big Flame and other Socialists. cita test all possible fortis of South -USCU by from non gay refusal ot Smiths to distribute Gay News.
Satumday: being wuted actionincluding working wbererelevantto build Socialist Unity nationally by intervening not the just in clections but on biller Fortunately issues in the class struggle, and by generating discussion within it of the tasksof socialists today: forms of ways to the attempt to develop Socialist Challenge as a popular agitational paper of a unified Socialists revolutionary left.
bE this HESITATIONS The conference inevitably reflected the hesitations of a humber of bruised by their experience in the SWP, socialist creation of a new organisation.
Plated by Richard Kirkwood and Stephen Marks of the Workers I STOP STOP ENC 2 BACKLASH BACK OVER5.000 peoplemarched in London on Saturday to demand thal the conviction of Gay Hews and its editor be quashed. The appeal againet the conviction starlad on Monday in London.
As well as gay groups from all overthe country, the demonstration received unprecedented support organisations, including anti-fascist committees and lell groups.
At the and of the rally which foliowed the demonstration, thousands of marchere occupied the nearby Charing Cross station and closed down the W HOmiths bookstall there in protest at fast week s The national Gay News defenon com nittee has called for country-wide pickets of Smiths for this *A meeting to discuss future organisation against attacks on gay people has been called by the National Gay Newe Defence Committee, It is at the Birmingham Gay Centre, 9 Broadley Street Digbeth on 25 February Irom 11am-6pm. All groups concerned with the gay issue are urged to send STIL down per down amendments.
JOINT WORK attending too, was, anything els militants who. The were reluctant to many Dark u THE LASHE League and they won the day.
Martin Shaw's more ambi tious proposals to coitmit the conterence to creating a new revolutionary organisation and making Socialist Chullenge its Were watered of alongside Paul Thompson of Big Flame an observer, explained that his organisation, as this time. only NOISS prepared for joint work. He did not think the time was right for Socialist Unit election campaign will offer possibilities for joint work in the coming period.
There is no reason why this, together with other joint work, cannot form the basis for a decision at the June conference.
OCHERI person cecurive, has accepted the leasures, A: December's NE Tbe Socialist Students" AlLance didn't let this go unnoticed. They called for a camFor mass action OIL student autonomy. Over 200 students endorsed this and they will ne gathering in Manchester on 18 February from 30 students unions, the further education sector conference of NUS, and the polsUnfortunately, another conference centring on union autonomy has already taken place It was scheduled, despise the anouncement of the Man chester conference. Amended by delegates from 60 colleges this confereoce was held ar North London Polstechnic on 5 February, It was strongly supported by NOISS, the stuof the Socialist Workers Party.
This confereoce electell a four SECCOIng committee. with only two additional places for students elected by che Manchester conference, no At the same tube. however we will make it clear to NOISS members chat we do not reject i broader unity on che lefi. On the contrary, the IMG is 100 per cent in favour of a united lef tendency 1 Todes the IMG, independent members of the Natiocal Org anisation of Labour Students. dency cannot be cobbled Let around two or lote issues. It requires a programme answerine all of the major questions facing students, from grants to women's oppression in education.
After all who could honestly say that these questions are any Toss neated to sulenomy cast that of "fascists in the colleges". Furtbermore such a tendenci should be based on individua membership hike the NOISS and the SSA.
To attempt to affiliate unions as a whole to such B seadency would only split the union. So NOISS should make up their minds; either democrane moses caunpaigns around each question, from autonomy to rucism, or a socialist lell dency in NUS on a lull prog Tanute lor students.
On the part of the IMO, se would Like to see both!
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Nancen JEFENCE CONFETTE