Our first weekend, being a success.
all.
The organisation of the rally When the Sum discovered that the rally was taking place our troubles really started.
Their headlined Revo kids make a date with Marx' was good free publicity, but it didn't please the administration University where the rally was booked totake place.
The Vice Chancellor of City University tion's booking thought Tarig Ali's presence at the rally would be inflammatory.
So with little over a week to go, Revolution had no venue -but all the indications were that P0UDA planning to come.
The rally was saved, twice over, by the Student Union at the prestigious Institute Education in Central London.
The Students Union agreed toallow the rally to go ahead in their student building.
We all breathed a sigh of relief and began to puzzle over how we would get the people who arrived at City University down to the new venue.
But then the Principal of the Institure decided Jock good if the rally took place at such a famous educational institution, and be too wanted the venue cancelled.
But this time the authorities didn't get their way.
The students at the Institute - more power to their elbows - held an emergency general meeting and occupied their own Union building so that the rally could do shead The rally began at lunchtime on Saturday and soon the hall was filled even the army in Ireland seemed determined to rally went ahead, was well-attended and enjoyed by problem after front page article. discuss City about cancelled Revolubecause he people were of England?* But wouldn't which Cardiff, Over CHIe supporters, 75 percent of whom were school students, young workers and young women.
After milling round bookstalls for a while and eating picnic lunches, everyone broke up into workshops to various facing the youth The tilms Blacks Britannica and Home, Soldier Home were particularly popular and pro. voked wide ranging discussions fascism While these discussions were ahead attempts were being made to sabotage the rally from a long discance. MacAliskey, who was due to be the main speaker at the rally in the afternoon, left for Belfast airport to catch the 12.30 plane to London.
At the airport she was stopped by the British army. They asked her two questions: *What are you going to do in and What time is your plane?' They kept her sitting at the roadside waiting until they saw the Loudan plane take off, then she was released.
even this destroy the rally, it just helped lo bring home to the people present the repressive nature of the British state in Ireland.
A statement from Bernadette was read to everyone present pointed action of the British security forces in preventing her leaving shouldn'i surprise anyone who anything about situation in Ireland.
Par Watkins, a youth from CHEERLE decided not to join the army.
He was due to enlist at the end of Apcil, but after going to of Pat Arrowsmith's revolutionary Cuba, the played questions The rally tremendous The and particular, part thanked for solidarity Bernadette youth rights.
fact lution were social in the evening their student union.
couldn't London.
for their help, The sig that Inc Tun and birth The Mary struggle for socialism.
youth rally | election meetings on Ireland he changed his mind and decided to join Revolution instead.
Barney Mokgatle, a Soweto student, talked about the events in South Africa in June 1976, and gave concrete evidence for the truth that the youch will be the audacious spearhead of the South Africa and all round the The final speaker was Tarig All, who pointed out that in Vietnam and recently in Iran the youth have in carrying forward the struggle for liberation and socialism.
ended cheer for the students of the Institute for fighting to allow the rally to go women's group in who interrupted their own conference to take in the general miceting which decided to occupy, were showing their with the light for Some measure of the success of the rally can be taken from that over membership cards for Revo sold ALTR collection raised over E200;
The final problem facing the day's events - a venue for the solved at the eleventh hom when the students of Middlesex Poly in North London offered Coaches were laid on and everyone was ferried to North The band Charge provided PA equipment and so they and the students at the Poly were also in line for a vote of thanks went ahead as The Straits playing, everyone danced, had celebrated militant choers the fact that it was the anniversary of Marx's A fitting day for an event marking such an important step towards creating a revolutionyouth organisation. revitalise and carry forward the Socalist Challenge 10 May 1979 page 3
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INVEST IN THE FUTURE, FUND YOUR PAPER THE BRITISH press, the education authorities and
prevent the Revolution rally, held in London last All their best efforts were doomed to failure. The