action is a completely inadequate strategy.
Supporters of nonviolent action (NVDA, for short) form a strong current within CND and the anti-nuclear movement, basing themselves in part on the actions of the Committee of 100 in the 1960s. is very likely that over the next year their tactics will be adopted for the actions marking TIne government's Hard civi aerence exercises Many of the proposed forms non-volen direct action socialists would agree with: pickets. marches and strikes were all organised bv the Direct Action Committee in the 1950s and 1960s, auallist the parliamentary lobbying line of the CND leadership. But there are big stop Is introduction they are elected.
Big The campaign to stop Trident and get rid of all nuclear weapons is a big opportunity for the Labour Party in Scotland to ecover lions setback at Hillhead, demonstrate vote the SDP/Liberal Alliance is incompatible with the majority sentiment Scotland for unilateral nuclear disarmament, and WIll mauritici the regional councils committed to standing up to Thatcher's nuclear offensive.
This in turn can help to boost support for Labour in the next general election as the only party government which 1 can be committed to ridding Britain of the obscenity of auced weapons. How can we defeat nuclear madness? That's the big question for millions of people today. Among the strategies put forward by those opposing nuclear weapons is the tactic of non-violent direct action. Last November's CND conference advocated it and last month's London regional conference voted to oroanise a series ot weekend schools on the issue PHIL WATERHOUSE argues that non-violent direct disadvantages to the NVDA approach.
First. actions bv small groups of dedicated inoften counterposed to mass acTot aver hor exam. ple one woman from the Molesworth Peace Camp commented in Sanity on October's mass demonstration in London that: 'It's all very well hav1nd a can vene de of a million people turn up, but at the end of the day they all go home and it's easv for tne press anc the government to forget about them, whereas we're here all the time.
Eve Of course such direct action can be producțive at Cellalll Civil Defence:
New CND pamphlet by Phil Bolsover, just 80p Write to: CND, 11 Goodwin St, London N4. Pickenham campaigns into the public eye, especially if it's well planned and carefully linked into building mass acstartling turn round in his popularity. Will Warren, supporter of the Direct Action Committee, base, Norfolk, in 1958 tions and demonstration.
by a dedicated handful are more likely being removed from North wrath of state repression Inrough prison sentence and heavy fines than to challenge the real power of the war-mongerers. Proof Proof of this problem can be found in the history of the Committee of 100 which from 1961 tried to go beyond the symbolic acts of the Direct Action Committee. Mass sit-downs were organised in Trafalgar Square which led to all CoLs and beatings by the cops. The aim was 'propaganda by deed', serving as a rehearsal for mass resistance.
But the net effect of such civil disobedience wa: demoralisation and availly. They would have done well to heed the ad vice of an earlier advocate OI onso peonence. Thoreau: 'If the alternative is to keep all just men in prison or give up war and slaverv. the state will hesitate choose Morals For other supporters, •non-violent arrect action Is a form of moral persuasteing pacifist or religious beliefs. The idea is that through taking exemplary the moral justice and truth of an idea will be revealed including to opponents. In inis silua tion NVDA seeks to destroy the enmity not the enemy.
Unfortunately life is a good deal more difficult and power of the ruling class will not be challenged by an appeal to morality. will tolerate any repression, injustice and inequality duding thou go che use of defend class society, nuclear weapons neCessary Mass conversion of the ruling class to sense is a non-starter Warmongers the over will not be moved by moral argument, but only by the power of mass op position movements of th working class and the dispossessed That's why the most effective way forward for CND is to take its campaign labour movement and the vouth. Mass actions anc protests by these forces will be much more effective than the nonviolent direct action tactics of exemplary action. Glasgow: Demonstrate against Trident, 10.30am, Blythswood Square, Walesay A Bridgend Wales: demonstration, after local feeder marches, llam on 10 April at county war bunker, Bridgend.
Leeds: March Moor, woo•nousi 11.30am on 10 April East: March and festival at sub-regional controllers' bunker, Hexham, Monday 12 April. East Anglia: March from US airforce Woodbridge base to Ipswich, 10 Apri at 10am.
London: March Princess Wales Blackheath at 12 noon on April East London feeder march at Green wich and back Blackheath Sheffield: March and ral0742-693658 for details. April. Ring Birmingham: March noon from Milk St on April, , rally at Town Hall Manchester: March on Saturday 17 April, assem ble 1pm at All Saints.
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