IT'S CRUNCH TIME for the anti-missiles movement. Last week the US Congress voted for deploying the first ten MX first strike missiles. And by the end of this year cruise and Pershing missiles are due for. installation across Europe. Now's the time for the anti-missiles movement to sort out its strategy and to develop some effective tactics.
Only fools now believe that the Geneva disarma ment talks will make any serious progress in stopping the deployment Pershing missiles.
The capitalist governments of intend to ignore the views ot the overwhelmingly majority of European people.
and Britain right-wing. governments are preparing to physically confront the peace In Greece and. Spain social democratic governmens ave retreaicu promises prondrawal of US bases. in the Mitterrand government. has been the most fervent supporter of Reagan's plan to station nuclear missiles That's the context in which the National Council of CND met in London UVCL the weekend 16/17 July. It had to decide how regain the initiative which the Tories won as a result disastrous pertormance in the general election campaign. cruise approaches This is in marked contrast to the rest of Europe. For example the Dutch movement is discussing the call for a general strike agalist cruise. In yelial the peace movement nas called for a week of action to precede 22 October with days of action by women, by youth, in the factories, etc. In Italy the movement, together with a section the unions demanding a referendum to demonstrate that the Socialist-led government has no mandate on cruise. Labour Party conference to support its conference resolutions which demands that mobilises for 22 October.
the necessary to start organising to make action against the missiles an For example, for local government unions could refuse to carry out Post. Cenice ang the Office could cut off phones to the bases, and so on.
by of the TUC which forcetilv brings home the message that action speaks that words strike action loudest of all.
Rejected But this approach is rejected by the central cor of the CND Executive. On the contrary, they have added the 'nuclear the demands of the October demo. E.P. Thompson advocates freeze as the basis for agreement with the Liberal/SDP This line threatens the anti-missiles with disastrous defeat as the Region of THE FIRTH OF CLYDE Photomontage by Peter Kennard, taken from GLC peace posters pack. The pack is part of the GLC peace year, available free to peace and community groups, etc. to Peace Year organisers, Dept of Recreation & Arts, County Hall, London SEI 7PB others have recognised In what way does the 'freeze' take us beyond the demands 'No Trident'? In way does a 'freeze' prepare us for a situation where cruise and Pershing are actually deployed?
In reality it is a retreat prepares for the accep of cruise substitutes cuddling with those great disarmers of the SDP, for the task of fighting to put the leaders movement on the spot.
How do the leaders of CND propose to foist this SUCH movement? Very simple, they Have borrowec idea from the Labour Pared a their opponents. the meaning of the CND Executive's decision first suspend and then imJUDa veto over the actions of the democraticall elected executive Labour CND. Every CND body and every and trade union hranch should demand that this witch hunt is ended.
Write Thankfully the CND Council narrowly rejected a still more ineffective and divisive slogan: 'Defend without the bomb'. The idea that CND can take on the Tories on the basis of building more battleships to send to the Falklands, recruiting more soldiers to die in Ireland, or building est more tanks to occupy Germany shows just how disoriented some of CND's leaders have become following the general election. Drift must blocked. forces that stand in its way ale all or lose, like the • Greenham movement, the and abour CND the CND branches regions, as well as the left wing in the unions and Labour Party, who nuinely want to stop and scrap nuclear weapons These forces will increas ingly constitute the leftwing within CND. Its first task is to pull out all the stops to mobilise against cruise and Trident on 22 BY 7/B:
Stronger measures?!? Have you ever seen what a plastic bullet. can do to a head?
1 sa civilized!
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