POURING rain and couldn't stop thousands of people marching through London last Sunday to demand an nuclear arms.
The march, called Labour Party, was led off by various Labour MPs, members the ecutive, including Joan Lestor, Jo Richardson, and Dennis Skinner. Michael Foot was chief Labour spokesperson and he too was at the head of the demonstration.
The leaders were followed by contingents organised by the Party in the localities: There were several thousand members and supporters in this section of the march the mobilisation by the Labour Party on a national demonstration for many years.
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the Campaign for Hree Europe brought large numbers of supporters on to the demonstration. One of the striking features demonstration was the high proportion of young people who turned out. Groups of friends carried home-made placards calling for an end to war: 'Fall in against fallout'; 'Education missiles'; weapons; 'Germ warfare Dummy The theme of the Labour Party placards was to link the high spending on arms with the cuts in public expenditure on welfare services. A dummy of Margaret Thatcher "The prime da for No increase in placards called for defence spending'.
This theme was echoed in the Labour Party speeches at the end of the demonstration Michael Foot linked defence spending with the election of Tory government, and heckling questions about Labour's record on defence spending when it was in power.
Unilateral Jo Richardson was speaker at the rally to call unequivocally for unilateral nuclear disarmament. "I am a unilateralist and proud of it,' she said, 'This government is a of confrontation cold war. This government frightens me to death. It is not only launching an all-out attack on working people and their families but it is driving us closer to war.' Susannah York, the actress, spoke from the platform to insist governments should begin about people and not refuse to accept that the 25,000 people here today are one fortieth of a megadeath. I am not a millionth of a mega-. death. We are ourselves.' Fenner Brockway the peace campaigner, Lawrence Daly NUN, Calder of END, were also speakers at the rally. All made worthy speeches Registered with the ros thunder end to by the left-wing national ex-Labour Party largest (END) also war on with the NATO war mongers.
tracted over 300 marchers. drew out the was labelled clearly called for their official NATO.
were sold.
Weapons in Hyde. Park.
increased ignored coomsady This is absolutely true. demonstration beginning ine only determined campaign.
and Britain:
that thinking numbers. • Name Address veteran Joan Lestor MP, and Mary calling for world peace and disarmament. But no one pointed to the first necessary step in achieving disarma. ment, to get Britain out of its alliance anti-imperialist contingent organised by the International Marxist Group and Revolution Youth atSlogans connection. between disarmament. the troops in lreland Carter's war drive against Iran, and Britain UHL Thousands of badges announcing I won't die for Thatcher' on Michael Foot, in his speech at Hyde Park, pointed out that there are bought two or three years to go before Cruise is due to arrive in Britain, and this is money arriving Sunday's must be only TENe bigger, and more SUBSCRIBENOW 12 months £12.50; 6months Abroad: 12 months - Surface Mail Airmail Multi-reader institutions: Double the above rate I enclose a donation for the Fighting Fund of.
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TWO thousand people who marched the anti-Cruise demonstration can't be That's how many of the marchers this recently-produced badge. 20p plus 10p p&p, or make for local campaign/ organisation by ordering 20 or more at a bulk discount rate of 15p per aage post jre Ill orders must be pre-paid to Hackney Socialist Education Group c/o PO Box 50, London N1 2XP ayable to Socialist Challeng CRUISE FORD UK has announced that it expects 2,750 of its carworkers to Photo: GEOFFREY SHERIDAN (Socialist Challenge)
PARTY PUT CRUISE Miéenr
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STOP CRUISE MISSILES