Park in Brixton for Carnival 2.
Brick Lane to defend it against the Nazis.
The sun was smiling as the trains began to pull in at Euston and the cooches reached Hyde Park. Slowly but surely the park was filling up. Soon it was a sea of hanners.
platform Roberts was getting the rall HUnCU. CaLE HO DOIOA SPOKO first but said molling new. in his spocch. A lot oraner in his speech. A lot which, SOUIULE Then there was Scargill. He political speech of the rally -exolasned wav the racists and Cascists had to be fought, why he Anti Nazi League was suçi an important initiative and why it had to be built.
LABOUR it the AL erednee that offered the politics of bope rather than the politics of fear":
Beno's presence sugeests chat the Labour Party has decided that votes can be gained as-well by fighting racism, Though Emie Roberis's attempt to use / the chair to pliug Benn as leader Ule LabNuT sectanan and constituted misuse oi nn ANL blalforn There were: a lew socecnes and then the march left, toarrive at Brockwell Park a lew hours later.
On the way was masic and dancing and slogans ('One, iwo three and a bir..the NF are a load of shit* seemed the mose popular amongst school students). "REVOLUTION' Ar Brockwell Park there were tents Tor different groups. but they were all dw arfed by the CEOUE Sociulist Challenge and Revolution, the new revolutionary socialist youth pa прег Incidentally thin last was a massive success. Two thousand were sold at the Carnival and the response was terrific.
Altbe Rock Against Racism CUILZIL comperes anti-fascist chants and groups (especially Misty) were clearly delighted CUUS.
SHAM 69 Jimmy Pursey from Sham *69 also appeared denying eports which had appeared ir the recent isue of Melody Maker.
Nearly 40,000 people had assembiod in Brockwell Park alone, a clear indication that all talk of diverting the Carnival was foolish in the extreme.
All in all, Carnival 2 was a massive sucpesst Nothing can take thar away. MYRA TREVELYAN and DAVE WAX were at the Carnival. DAVELAWRENCE was in Brick Lane. Emir Lane The fascists had deliberately Arthur chosen BLACCIL acerenver to darupt Carnival 2. The choice confronting the ANL was not an casy one.
They decided to go ahead with the Carnival, bur East End anti-fascists mobilise to defend Brick Lane and its environs.
Double tha were märching Embanknient ai 2pm to their new headquarters in Shoredich.
FOOLHARDY
was It was obvious that the only thing that anti-fascists could do LEEDe Cucunstances was 1o scay arould Brick Lane and be on the alert for any arracks. Any notion of 'taking the offensive" was foolhardy.
And yet the stewards quite arbitrarily decided away from Urick Lane.
The result was an attempt to block Shoreditch Hiah Sireet This was broken up by Special Patrol Group wguads and there were 35 arrests.
The defence of these prisoneri should became TrIonly lor the ANE and all hy BIU-LCCISLS. In a demoralised state the anti-fascists returned to Brick Lane. Here theredemounce the ANL load Pail competition as to who competition which Marileet, the local Socialist Jed the Teuchers Agalast the on Workers P'arty organiser, entered his name.
The only speaker to delend the decision to continue with LATMILAES was asked to Silberman trom Patrick Kodikara anti-fascista Tower Hamics and Hackney Lane. Defence Committet denounced cof fascits, the state for not banning the NF march ind the ANL for not conting to the East End As dusk averwhelmed the Tane, the anti-fascists gradually dispersed. When a group of 25 thugs inspired by propaganda allacked the BenBalis later HAIVEREL offensive' had already gone hinme Given the fact that it was mipoesible lo cancel or divert Carnival 2, tbe only tactic was to remain in the Brick Lane arca and be prepared to defend the community against to march racist atracks.
What creased the demoralisation was the display "mindless militancy' and the stesards" failare to respond in a political fashion.
major Evea il 2,000 anti-fascists had arrived fromn Carnival 2 in timic, bave beeo to maintain an alert rather than go ofl on a futile could chase.
The other lesson Irom Brick Lane is the following: unless TC PADE COTEOLTY Is JLSCil ARTHUR SCARGILL speaking at lust Saturday's conferesice ol Nazis, stbenwied BENN at Hyde Park: hoping In win votes?
tinue.
Jonathan
the interour in their thousands.
the meeting. forward.
ASLEF.
such CASCIS mobilised, problems will con vote.
The reason why the one-day strike aga nst racism was such a executive sucdess was precisely becanse the Bengalis theinselves were IT IS NOW just over six monchs since the police ALAN SOSKEN* who chaired Anli-fascist sentiments on the rashwaes were mach in the news recently, and RAN'S DHETENLE SRTVeunRI L11115 awäreziess wat wo inere Mash in But it also revealed that there are geniuine differences among anti-Nazis about the best way A West London member of the SOW-UTHELS union, moved that fascista be expelled from the trade unions considered incompatible with union miemhership But Bill Ronksley, nationa president of ASLEF, warned against expelling NF members. With the closed shop agreement on British Rail and London Transport, he argued we would be making martyrs of the This debate ooloured much ol lhe attetroon's discussion and the reption was finally RAN's stocring conunittee after a split Tory Donaghy of the NUR stressed thar cannor rely on lenders to crush the NF, but that the rank and file must taketheinitiative in the Prevention of Terorism Act The sienificance olthe Ka meering, which was large by railway standards, was to bring logether trade union leaders and rank and file activist across union lines in a common endeavour to find a positive *4 shades ot lhe elonest to light abe Tasciscs and revolurionary lett were in atlendance, with Communist Party supporters wcl-represented on the platform.
The meeting adopted the Rail Against the Nazis steering CUEITIEEH TCNE SR CHERR for thie setting up of local RAN groups throughour the railway network monitor and actions and propaganda.
That Do carth-shattering formulas for smashing fascin: emerged was preciccabic But the need for clear and forthright action to defeat the tacists and fascists was amply demonstrated, with no ane in any doubl thal the struggle is BeRAS Pank and File KAN, Centre, 265 Seven Sisters Road, *ALAN SOSKIN is a member of the Transport Salaried Staffs Associanon.
----- pull-quotes -----
IT WAS a big success. Despite all the hostile publicity in the press, 100,000 people gathered in Brockweil At the same time East End anti-racists gathered in
...and meanwhile at Brick