Fred organise a giant demonstration in Hyde Park (the largest public park in London, where all the big popular meetings take place during political campaigns) to demand a general amnesty. They contacted all London's democratic organisations and formed a committee wnien in cluded MacDonnell (an Irishman), Murray (an Englishman) and Lessner (a German) - all members of the last General Council of the International.
RIGHT A difficulty arose: at the last session of parliament the government passed a law which gave it the right to regulate public meetings in London s parks. It made use oi this and had the reulations posted up to warn those who wanted to hola sucn a puduc meellig blat they must give written notification to the police two days prior to calling it, indicating the names of the speakers. This regulation carefully kept hidden from the London press destroyed with one stroke of the pen one of the most precious rights of London's working people -the right to hold meetings in parks when and how they please. To submit to this regulation would be to sacrifice one of the peoples' rights. revolutionary element of the population. were not men to displa! such weakness. The committee unanimously decided to act as if it did not know of the existence of this regulation and to hold their meeting in defiance of the government's decree.
ENORMOUS Last Sunday, at about three o'clock in the afternoon, two enormous processions with bands and banners marched towards Hyde Park. The bands played Irish songs and the Marseillaise; almost all of the banners were Irish (green with a gold harp in the middle) or red. There were only a few police agents at the entrances to the park and the columns of demonstrators marched in without meeting any resistance. They assembled at the appointed place and the speeches began.
The spectators numbered at least thirty thousand and at least half had a green ribbon or a green leaf in their buttonhole to show they were Irish; the rest were English, German and French. UNITY This is the first time an Irish demonstration has been held in Hyde Park; it was very successful and even the London bourgeois press cannot deny this. It is also the first time the English and Irish sections of our population have united in friendship. These two elements of the working class, whose emnity towards each other was so much in the interest of the government and the wealthy classes, are now offering one another the hand of friendship; this gratifying fact is due principally to the influence of the last General Council meeting of the International, which has always directed all its efforts to unite the workers of both peoples on a basis of complete equality. This meeting of the 3rd November will usher in a new era in the history of London's working-class movement. the good work.
Martin Bell (S. London)
Dear Socialist Action, sure, disagree. ers did vote Reagan. impressed by its coverage, particularly of international issues. Keep up While I agree with your call for a Labour Party in the United States, your interpretation of the recent president- apart. ial elections struck me as wishful thinking. Three points stand out.
First: you emphasise the fact that there was little difference between Carter and Reagan. Really? While it is true that Carter was no 'dove', are you seriously suggesting that Reagan's politics do not mark a real shift to the right? Workers in the USA (and in neighbouring Nicaragua) will, I am Second: you stress the fact that the low poll indicates there was a real shift among working people away from the two big business parties.
This is playing with figures. The fact is that the poll was only 2% lower than last time and that many workSocialist Action Pamphlets Socialist Action has a wide range of pamphlets/books on the labour movement, the fight for women's rights, anti-racism and the struggle against Imperialism. If you would like a full list of works available, contact: Socialist Action PO Box 65 London, SW 16.
strige TRADE UNION PrO Par by Jame British government has noi brougnt in its reforms to take the men off the blanket. The rumour is another hungIi chis cadus the men's demands will be ilear: political status and notning les:
We do not blame the British people, we blame their government. They protect a minority in this island who re fuse to call themselves Irish and who keep the Irish Catholics and Protestants To anyone who thinks that the republican cause is beaten, I say it is not and will not be as long as an armed British soldier is on Irish soil. Tony Harker (Armagh, Ireland)
Dear Cde, The column by Liz Easton in the last Socialist Action about the freedom fighters in the H-Block was very informed about the hardships to those freedom fighters and about the Irish working people's cause.
Please send some more copies of Socialist Action.
Jimmy McLaughlin (Dublin)
for et Nuclear Power
Socialist Action January 81