This is she fest major international gutherieg of revolutionuries from Western Europe since the war. The venue has been curefully chosen: the showcase of Westera capitalism.
The occasion is a conference against Imperialism und in solidarity with Vietnam, The hosts are the internationaiist students from the Germen SDS (German Socialisa Stidents). Rodi Dutschke, Christian Semmler, the Wolf brothers greet their comrades from abroad: Alnin Krivine apsine 300 JCH delegates Trom F Ace, Ersest Mandel from Belgiul, Tarle All from the Vietnam Solidarity Campaign in Brituin, bluck Americans from the United States.
Speeches interrupted constant applause and chants of 'Ho. Ho, Ho Chi Minh', The Amerieans tesch a new chant: "I sin't gonnu go to Vietnam, 'cos Vietnam is where l am. Hell no, Tain'i gonna go." More applause. More speeches.
The mood is caphorle because of the news which is secping through from the hattlefields of Southern Vietnam. The Natonal Liberation Front is celebrating the Vietnumese New Yeur (Tet) by launching a simultaneous JANUART:
National Liberation Front launches its Year offensive Vietnam. The puppet army crumbies. American public opinion is traumasised.
FEBRUARY:
gatnering of In Nest Berlin, conférence in sondarily imperial capital of Hué has bern liberated. Fighting Is golng on in Salgon Itself. The grasshoppers ure humbling the elephantsThe internationalists in Berlin weep with jos. Afler their speeches they march on the streets. 10,000 voices in unison hall the victories of Vietnamese. Portralts Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, the revolutionists murdered in Berlin in 1919 by the armed social-democracy, head the processlon.
It is a highly symbolie affair. They ure aghast in West Berlin and puzzied in the East. For histery is heing turned upside down.
For us it is the fint glimpse of a new by fulure. The message of Vietnam is loud and clear. We need whisper no black longer. Imperialise Is not invincible.
If the Vietnamese can de it, then so con the workers and students in the West.
Naturally there is not unanimity on this proposition. Marcuse is dublous, many stadents incredulous, but both Mandel and Krivine insist thai without the workers there cun be no revolution in the West.
MARCH:
Southern demonstrations (25,000 solidarity with the NLF. Demos also in every major European city. March 22 DoVeMETT European France, Audi Dutschke is shot by a at fasciat and serioualy wounded with Viet- MeST COn: HDa EnTou out yEs Germany.
venor Square. The mais speakers are Almin Krivine. Tarie All, John Pulmer and Christian Semamler from the German SDS. There are batiles olside the US Embasy.
The Sonth Foreign Minister calis a press the conference in Saigon to denounce the of Grosvenor Squure demo as belng "Inspired by communists'. True, but not by British Communists, who ure squads of that atage estremely bostile to VSC.
Vietnamese British representatives attend YSC conferences and give nessages of solidarity! The Morning Star reports the 17 March mentioning the orguntuticn which orgaeised it.
Puris there are also demonstrations. The victories of the Vietnamese hare brought a new luver of militants onto the stage of history profounily internutionulist.
They reject polities of suciul-demecracy and the traditional Communist Parties. They favour revolations in tbe West, even though they have no clear ides as to In Britain in March 1968 there is a | how these will be brought about, The APRIL:
bullds rEDISCnEn or oTonY.
Stalinist bursaucrat, by Dubcek in January.
Britain SOUArA. MAY:
state. On the night of •anterre all their demands.
develope. Within strike. 10 million workers occupy their Tactorles, Vietnamese •puppet The Inspirution comes from the commemists, the berricades.
demo without quite, bur aliost.
In Rome, Milun, Turin, Brussel. "Mammas" hays", who яге the compromised JUNE:
Mass pressure for democratic retorms up in Prague. The Prague Spring' begins to take shape after the alive and well.
LIG TISEEU Alexander Franci state. On the night of 10 May they win against ine ASABINEREE weeks the country is throes of a massive general In Paris a movement of solidarity Vietnam by EDESIICHS provokes a serles of clashes with the Canlist sute. Mindents unleash y strike to demund the releuse of their lesders. The state refuses.
On the night of-10 May 1968, the harricades go up in Paris once uguin. Behind them are young students, determined not to allow the hated CRS riot police to break their strike. Bricks and cars are used to construct No-one is spared. Ernest Mundel observes his cur going up in flasnes on : This la beautifal. It ls the repolution. Not The students win. Yer, iney min.
Eu the CRS had shouted, even though a quarter of the sudents were women. Now the CRS retreni. The 'ortbodox" groups that hed marched off rather than fight can't beliere their eses.
Within the next weeks a wave of selidarily demonstrations and strikes by workers escaistes into a massive Socialist general strike. 10 million worker occupy their factorles. Ir is the lorgest The general strike in France continues. The European bourgeoisie is horrifled The goste of 1789, 1848 and 1871 are JULY:
When the finger points at the moon. the IDIOT looks at the finger. Chinese Unis sogan onarans wall t a reference to the French Communist WE BarCoworo SoDa OTCHS the Fitth Ropublio (Wa are a party o The strike, lacking a political focus. tinalas out. Gaullism wins the connea C vot which followe Reaction Trot heaves a sigh of rellef. But it will not. he BD8 10 S88 cown BG capitalist system, and it surprises and sbocks the Communist Party and is trade maion leaders.
"This time we will go all che way. whout the morkers. When workers shout this*, explains the CP undon leader Segus, 'they mean in reality that this tine they will not he satistied with anythieg less thun a 30 per cent wage rise. Daly the atropaied mind of u bureuscrat could draw thal purucuiar cocusUn.
But the strike lucks u political focus. Although it reaches far beyond economic deminds, the wenkaess of the revolutienry left in the tactories menms that there is no political perspective ayailable lo worker. Spontaneously they go mo further thaa factory ocempations.
The events in France chat year were a dress relearsal. Tbere were others as mell, but sone so inteese as in Paris in May/Jame 1968.
The eroptions in Czecboslovakia in Agust that year had a different 'character. But they were a different chopier from the sume book, and Challenge will commesorating the Prague Events in its :Agast issues.
In Czechoslovakla the reformers are beginning to feel the pressure of th:
they are told to and the experiment and retum to nermal.
SUT Ur dnsmic s berond thell trol. hey make a fow concessions.
Yes and discussions continue kina Communists rehabilitatt tasac Delscher's works are serlalised. Czechoslovakia has never COPAR aS uCAns boramı SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 25 May 1878 page 7
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