THE National Front are threatening to call local demonstrations across the country on May Day. police into banning labour movement May Day marches. Until last week demonstrations were banned in areas covering eight million people.
DAVY JONES was on the steering committee of the Campaign Against the Ban on Marches in London three years ago. lessons of that campaign and argues the case against bans on fascist marches.
In February 1978 the National Front called a march in Ilford to support oy-elechol didate. The NaziR League called Coulllel mobilisation. The police stopped them both through a month-long ban on marches throughout London.
The ban did not stop the fascists They still assembled in Ildistributed LUpaganda and intimidated the local Jewish and black communities. It did stop the anti-fascists from an effective show of strength against the NF and in support local communities.
Furthermore demonstrations in the capital were banned, rang.
Ing trom a student grants' march, anti-apartheid and Friends Earth demos, and a h. Tre in. anti-racist march. The ternational Women's Dav march ignored the ban and demonstrated anyway The contrast with the situation today is striking.
Important movement figures and bodies came out strongly agallis! the 1978 ban. The north London district committee of the AUEW the London Co-op political committee, numerous ort)
Labour MPs and councillors sponsored activities (Rep National lobby against the ban.
Casualties of the latest round of bans include the first day of the cross- ANDREW Pennines CND march, the Scottish TUC demo on 2 May in support of the Peoples March for Jobs (hit by a three month ban Photo:
in Glasgow), and a Dudley Trades Council unemployment march banned because the police say it The purpose is to provoke the He recalls the would be 'inconvenient to shoppers' But where has been the labour movement response? The TUC and Labour Party leaders have either remained silent or have welcomed the bans. The NCCL have attacked blanket bans and called for them to be more selective.
Banning marches has a number of useful sideeffects for the police and local authorities. First it saves Hulley Massive policing of fascist marches costly business.
Secondly lt SioDs street confrontations where the police are openly seen to oe protecung une Tascists The police refer their of the far right Lucialle groups to be more covert.
Finally it strengthens the hands of the police and the state to ban demonstrations at the drop of the hat. We can be sure that such powers will be used increasing v against strikers and the labour movement generally.
Bans on marchs, including selective bans, are the thin end of a against the democratic rights of the working class and the oppressed.
There is an alternative calling TOI Dolls might more mundane and take more etfort than leaving it to the police to stop the fascists but it's the only way to defeat them