had placed a ban on all demonstratThe demonstrators marched through the city centre of lisbon, bearing slogans such as Unemploy"Overtime -no; reduced hours-yes, * Against redundancies unity of the working class. No to unemployment -down with capitalism', "Death to capitalism—out with imperialism' and Out with NATO-national independence -Al one point the demonstrators found their way blocked by an armoured column of the army's security force, but after discussion with the column's commander the demonstration was allowed to continue on its way, Takine part in the demonstration were workers trom more than forly Lisbon factories, and representatives from a number of revolutionary socjalist organisations, including the Internaconal Communist League, Portuguese sympathising organisation of The call for the demonstration came initially from the workers in an electrical engincering multi-national, EFACEC-INEL, who have been carrying on a militant and highly organised light against redundancies in Lheit firm since last July. At the end ers bulletin published an editorial complaining that the two demonst:ations planned for 31 January by the Communist Party and the Socialist Party I which did not take place anyway because of a Government ban) were not taking up the main problems affecting workers They condemmned the organisers of both demonstrations as being just concerned with the conquest of places in the state apparatus... in order to better serve capital, and reported that a number of rank-and-file workers' commissions were calling a demonstration agrinst unemployment and its origin in the capitalist system". They urged the immediate formation of committees in every factory which can, through wall newspapers, expose all redundancies, all deterioration in living scandards, all the misery and all the oppression which the bourgeoiste impose on the workers The big response which the call from these workers received throughcut the Lisbon working class shows of Januury the EFACEC-INEL works that an increasing muster of Portuguese workers are determined to lake action to tackle their problems, and indicates that there is a real possibil and coordinated on a much broader scale than has happened previously Weekly bulletin produced by the EFACEC-INEL workers: thay issued call for action It shows that an important section of workers are beginning to strike out independently of the Communist Party (who had nothing to do with this demonstration), even though the CP have recently taken something of a left turn, at least talking about the Portuguese proletariat being ready Tor socialism', even though they are not doing anything about it.
how weak the capitalist state machine has become in Portugal: the ruling class is unable to place any serious barrier in the way of the mass struggle It is this which makes the final fact even more important -the growing ability of sections of the revolutionary left to link up with the most mil Iant workers and give their political ideas some real mass force.
We can now expect all the hysterical screams about civil war and Communist takeover to double is volume as the internacional ruling ity that future struggles will be united class pets a whitt of what is, for them a real disaster —the possibility of a advantage of. inalion.
prisoners The demonstration also shows just Spanish Embassy. repressive drive, directed particularly against the revolutionary left. This may be in preparation for the granting of some political concessions, which the dictatorship does not want its left-wing opponents to take Two of a group of left wing independent militants arrested at the end of last year building workers leader Antonio Duran and women's movement activist Eva Forest - are reported to be com ing to trial shortly on a totally trumped-up charge of having been involved in the Carrero Blanco assassThe public prosecutor has apparently demanded the death VCUF sentence twice over for them!
The case of the Carabanchel Ten, and that of Forest and Duran - along with that of all Spanish political - most be taken up by the workers' movement in this country as it was last Saturday us Glasgow when Spanish militants, socialists, and trade unionists marched in support of the Carabanchel Ten The Exterior Delegation of the Workers' Commissions in London has Has asked for letters and petitions in support of the 'Carabanchel Ten' to be sent to the Supreme Court of the These can be sent each. to: President of the Supreme Court, Palacio de Justicia, Plaza de las Saiexas, Madrid, Spain: or The 24 Belgrave Square, London SWI In the London area, solidarity with Spanish political prisciners is being organised by the Spanish Solidarity Committee (SSC) which can be contacted through Sue Fox. Secretars SSC. Students Union. round petitions initially but then went on to more offensive forms of action. 1839 saw the first phase of mass ra lies, process sconven increasino attacks Dyine army ani frequent arrests of loaders-ending in der.
in an industriel context, with mess strikes soross the North of England-ot that time in the grip of a periodic tump. This strike movement for the demands of the Charter was also defeated. But Chertism was stil not smashed and the campsign was resurrected in 1847-8, only to be orutally and finally detailed in g raign of terror inflict ed by a ruling class fearful of the revolutio ery devalopments all over Europe in that But the heroism, the example and the lessons live on of this, the first natione independent palitical movement of the working class in the whole of Europe ******* 18 FEBRUARY, 1961: The Committee of 100 started the Campein for Nuclear Dis armament, which was the first sustained movement af direct action in Britain since the 1930%, Four thousand people surround ed the Ministry of Defence, adopting a pot oy of civil disobedience, and 826 were carried away by the police to be fined El The CND, although extra parliamentary showed the intense debate going on inside the Labour Party at that time over the issur between the right and eft. During the early Bis the campaign mobilsed thousands people in its marches from London to the Weapors Research Centre at Aldermaston and though its narrow, almost apolitical character led to its demise in the changed conditions of the middie '60s, it gave mam of tody's political activists their first tast
A month ago Red Weekiy published the text of an 'Open Letter" issued by ING students to all revolutionaries and militants in the student movement. This proposed that an Open Forum be held in Birmingham on 23 February to discuss how to develop an effective, working unity among the groups and individuals who see the need for a new leadership in the National Union of Students.
A reply to this initiative from the student organisation of the International Socialists, the National Organisation of IS Societies (NOISS) has now been received by the IMG. It is printed below