NAC. At the national planning meeting of the National Abortion Campaign a fortnight ago, a resolution was put forward for a demonstration on 8 November. This came hard on the heels of an article in Socialist Worker which had initiated the call for an early November demonstration independently of the At the meeting there was agreement over the timing of possible government legislation and the importance of a national demonstration in building the movement, but the voting on the exact timing of a demonstration was tied 33-33. A recall meeting will be held on 6 September after local NAC groups have discussed the question on the basis of two documents to be circulated by NAC outlining the arguments. The main points they make for and against a demo on 8 November are quoted here:
It is no good just waiting for new legislation and then reacting. That would be falling into the hands of our opponents. They hope that NAC will have disappeared by the time of the next session so that when the Select Committee meets (under the influence of SPUC) they can bring in major 2) FOCUS FOR DEMO *The November demonstration will provide a national focus for all our work in the localities, at the same time it will strengten loval groups arter the summer u we know man ue come peroc we are being threatened by further res trictive legislation. How about "No return to the back streets", "A woman's right to choose" for the demonstration 3) THE FIGHT AGAINST SPUC come the autumn me ant-aDornonsE. will be campaigning like mad. SPUC already has a demonstration planned for 19 October. That is why we have to go on the offensive. The last demonstration was organised in two months. From 6 September we have time to organise an 8 November demonstration The document against the demonstration was signed by IMG members on the steering committee, together with independents working in NAC locally and nationally, and representatives from the NUS and ALRA. Signatories to the other position were members of the International Socialists and the League for Socialist Action.
We emphasised the importance of consensus within the campaign in building mass actions if these are to be really successful. Without this unity in action NAC could become fragmented and weakened. If a sizeable majority do not support a proposed action, we suggest the proposal be withdrawn and alternatives considered around which agreement can be reached.
We feel that the conference is very important for NAC groups to be able to discuss and decide democratically tactics and timing of actions in the future, to carry the campaign forward with the maximum forces involved. The fight for free abortion on demand is too important to risk failure on the basis of tactical disagreements within the campaign.
Articles on this page compiled by: BERRY BEAUMONT, PHYLLIS DUN CAN, LINDA SMITH and WENDY FOREST, IMG members of NAC Steer### AGAINSI *The Select Committee will possibly be reconstituted in the next parliamentary session and will make its final report based on the James White Bill probably in December/January. Government legisla tion may follow on from this report Faced with a real threat to a woman's limited right to legal abortion, we must then organise a huge national demo against restrictive legislation expressed in a GovCEment Bil In building a mass campaign like NAC we need to hold demonstrations and other large actions when the political issues are clear cut and we know we can bring thousands of people onto the streets around a focus which everyon understands.
"The slogan "Against all restrictive legislation" is not precise or explicit enougn to bulla a demonstragon ol between 50-100,000 on 8 November.
'From our experience of 21 June, we know that to build a large national dem onstration takes at least three months. Il The demonstraton is to be neid Nov ember on no specific issue with small numbers it will be compared unfavourabl with the demo called by the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child on 19 October. Our demonstration will be seen merely as a reaction to SPUC, and not as a posture can to acuon around clear demands."
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FOR 1) THE TIMING