Lewisham and argues that: THE "BATTLE of Lewisham"
wingers. For whether the event vas of primarily local or nationa SHE DETRA the fact is tha racialists strove to gain the free dom of the streets in an immithey would have exercised thei private terror in the wake of their public, police protected "peace ful manch Instead, the driven to the back roads, broker up and stopped short. The direct counter-stroke against them crucially wided by the fee ten THIs was a VIctOry.
Such an action is more importLOVET BETTE IT WOrd.
since written and spoken about i Yet the effect of these is alse How, then, was this event itself described and justified in the he use of a quotation from, of a cople, Adolf Hitler, A quotatio David Edgar in Destine —his play about the rise of English fascism concludes with Hitler's wn words, used in such a fashior that they become the message or his drama. The same words were used again in Socialist Worker set out in display type on the pRee or their special account of th 'Battle of Lewisham', Here too the words were ased to endorse c action and bring the messag ome. This is what the leader c German fascism said: 'Only one thing could have stopped ou adversaric ad understood its first principl ind from the first day ba siasbed with the utmost brutality the nudens of our movement at was disheartening to see the same quotaton, in bold type. at the head of an article on page 4 of the "Lewisham Special" зирplement of Socialisr Challenge.
t is grotesque for socialista to quote Hitler in this fashion, no because it plavs into the bands or those who claim that all extremist groups of right or left are come as a surprise? -because Hiller was wrong CHARLATAN His reputation as a charlatan, demagogue and as a fabricator of mins should, by now, be wai established. True, he was also reputed to have had a hypnotic power over sections of the masses Maries in been Known to Tel pre-war Germany, and even under the away of strange speils. But isn't it incredible thar a paper influcnced by reprodube such arrant mystification? For the great political aclevencat which werybady Trotskyist and non-Trotskyist agrees upon is that Tratsity saw SWISSI ENCTISC Hitler meant, for Germany and for all Europe, and that he saw sopped, even as late as 1933.
Trotsky's cloquent and animunited front against Hicker was confirmed by ibe votes cast in sation for the anti-fascist mass picket on 8 October in Tameside will be larger and broader than Lewisham. ANTHONY BARNETT maintains that there were some serious flaws in our reporting of "There will not be any lasting, active socialist unity on a mass scale sufficient to challenge the bourgeoisie for power some time in the early nist Party refused to ally with the Siler and or intal gang or followers could have been stopon, and should have electoral prominence was not He said it was inevitable, aod we find Socialis This fascist ideology, It hum to represens himself and hi drown the trade union morement, unless it is dispersed now with the wunist hrutaly.
lenge? The lead article in the LewisDam Soccia" is What really happened at Lewthe ¡sham? It denounces the media: extremism, all the drooling about "democracy" serve one purpose: to cover up the real culprita."
Very well. No droolin creaming from Socialist Chal up. But somchow or other the the Socialist Workers Party, On another page the swP are co Ecotly ana, sarcis. art the Sochit Unity candidate acked for their failure to at Ladywood. But their leading tale at Lewisham is simply not aLoueh Ibe pres treated them the organisers of the main contin tal. Was this somelms which did not realiy happen'? In which case che SPinthe media really a part was the of the "cover-up', which is mentioned three times in the article?
HS The DET issue of Socialist Challenge Taric fully acknowledges Lie role of the SWP.
Another incident was the use of altitionia, The mass media certHAUP Char Over a hundred correctly atpolitical Mainly screamed abour it. Now the use of ammonia, or any othe general, anti-personnel obnoxious against the principles of social les use demned. Not only is it necessary also practical to do so, in erder to relain the mass support which is the ultimare bastion against any fascist advance. Certainly its use cannot be implicitly supportSHOW-STOPPING courts arising from 13 August. Already the fines are high. 250 for offensive weapons. E50 for threatening behaviour. Many of the defendants are due to appear for trial in October. Already defendants have received threatening phone calls from the NF.
out of the work. We make an urgent appeal for money from all anti-fascists. The fines will be high and we need money to assist the anti-fascist fighters in paying them. We also make an urgent appeal for all possible witnesses to contact the defence campaign immediate at: 720 1320 (Tony]. Send money to the Lewisham Defence Campaign: c/o 6 Cottons Led because Adolf Hirler suggest ed that his enemics shoald have chemical used utmost brutality" and AMMONIA should be conweapons, it is includes condemning the has to he fneed, not because the wns widespread. but because tbe / COUNTER-DEMONSTRAT OF THOUSANDS anti-fascist fighters bave already faced the The defence campaign needs more money for the carrying CIE have to say? Nothing. "really happen The hardly USE DI said, This is a detail but i monin": at Lewisham CRODUCTION absonia The how it Vol evasions Gardends E2 medin have made an issue of it.
Challenge
SWP awkward tack which did th report in Socialist Worker -was no it should be added, MOSCUCC D improvemiem. Thes 'most demonstrators like the quote TITSE through the press pect. except for some SWP members bet Citton Rise and grabbed the pOr bottle from one of them and bou This lacks conviction! Phical Nazis" with bocoutes a singular bottle. Some SWP memhers in her the plucal threw it away til cus have heen a big bottle). Are we supposed to believe that they threw i into a dustbin? The evasiveness of this passage hill literally incredible for Socialis DUESTICIN Challenge 10 ask, bowever, For possible reporters id-induige in their kind "OBJECTIVITY"
One explanation is 'sectarianism", or at least an aspect of it Securianism is nor just a matte attacking ESTICES -13U contrary. the criticism of the action at Ladywood men tibed above was constructive in tone, persuasive and realistic pro sectarian. But mention ol the SWP's role at Lewisham. Jus Hitler. is SCOaTinE In One saniticant res Both help to present a world view which accords with TEN CARE DIRE WILTESE
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until socialists learn to tell the truth.' Bal the Gentine can a
•..BE THERE! ANTI- FASCISTS