obvious that neither Carter nor Reagan expected massive resistance Western Europe. Talk *theatre weapons', possibility of 'limited nuclear war' in Europe consideration of 'warning nuclear explosions' was the very opposite of what was required to get NATO policies through.
The United States of course expected protest action against policies. But while a few tens thousands protesting in Europe, 100,000 in the United States, may seem large it does not deflect the policy of imperialist governments. US imperialism carried on the Vietnam war for years against the opposition of the majority of its population. Tourne round or protests weapons would have been swept aside.
It was the truly colossal scale of the opposition actions which had not forces. If the NATO decisions can be implemented and the missiles brought in, then the United States and EuroDean imperialism will gain an enor. mous military and economic lever against the Soviet Union. It can use this to "damage the economy of the USSR and force it to fui down its economic and military aid to struggles in the semi-colonial countries.
Similarly if the attempt to bring in the missiles is defeated then would impose a major defeat on imperialism, greatly relieve the situation of the Soviet Union, and leave the USSR with a greater potential for its own development and for of struggles in the colonial world the In short the outcome of the fight over the missiles in Western Europe will affect the class struggle. Compared to, for ample, its victories in the East. imperialism continues to tace massive problems in its programme in Western Europe. It is in the two areas of Central America and the struggle over nuclear weapons, combined with the grinding tight over austerity, that faces mediate problems. Building the mass actions planned against the missiles in 1983, defeating the new manoeuvres against that movement is a decisive the task next year. Stopping nuclear missiles being Europe is the greatest blow that the West European WORKS strike for socialism in 1983.
against Cruise this base where the sited.
It seemed like an aid to ble protest to organise.
trances the entire international Middle momentoes, greatest im- is an inspiration to us all.
amperansin US stopping Cruise deployed in nuclear women only protest wrong class can WOMEN braved sleet and icy rain to make a massive protest missiles at Greenham Common last Sunday. 30,000 women 'embraced' influence of the 9 mile perimeter of the airfirst Cruise missiles to arrive are due to be mous task, a virtually impossifrom being grouped at the en- weapons.
base was surrounded in ten minutes flat!
And everywhere women had hung Sunday, drawings, children's clothes, toys and photographs of loved ones. It was a massive protest that couldn't be ignored by the bosses" press, will rattle the government, and Of course some people mutter with sour grapes that it was all wrong for it to be women only. While it is vital to understand that working men have just as much interest as women and stopping that doesn't make a Women spend most of their lives weapons this year. as domestic slaves, degraded and oppressed by stultifying domestic tasks.
In the eyes of men and many women, women are the weaker sex, wives and mothers, not politicians or fighters. When this weaker sex' these wives and mothers, shake off the and emerge in the vanguard fight for a future for the whole of humanity then it is an inspiration to us all, both male and female.
And that's how Sunday's protest has to be seen. As an inspiration to the whole movement against nuclear lives We have to follow the inifiative of the Greenham women to go out and build bigger and bigger mass actions against Cruise and Trident.
i deanon to me mass protest of women pledged themselves to risk arrest in an attempt to block the entrance to the base on Monday. The labour movement has to respond in kind and be prepared to defend any women arrested in the fight against the missiles.
Tony Benn went to Greenham on Sunday to support the protest'. The best support that he can give, along with all the other sympathisers of the Greenham women in the leadership of the labour movement, is to fight for the labour movement to build the most massive opposition to nuclear And that will also be the best way to defend anyone arrested at the Greenham airbase gates.
Greenham Common. on Sunday was a women-only protest. Next time perhaps it will be mixed But that shouldn't make any difference to the labour movement does about u. In lactories and workplace. up and down the country it's women in particular who oppose the missiles How often do you hear women say: I'd do anything for my kids.' And It's true women will and often de make incredible self-sacrifices for the of their children, and their futures. Today EI Salvador thousands of women are in the guerrilla army. Not because they are more 'peaceful' than men, but because they have the courage to fight for a future Among working women in particular there exists are enou reserve of anger, energy and will to fight against the threat to everything we hold dear. This reserve has to be tapped and can be tapped in the present fight against nuclear weapons. But it cannot be tapped by circular Lenes Greenham The organised labour movement has to call these mighty forces into action. If they did the next Greenham Common protest, women only or not, could be three, four times size. National demonstrations could be a million strong. And Cruise missiles could be stopped.
Socialist Challenge 17 December 1982 page 7
IN FIVE YEARS time, the Mall could be running with blood as the TUC economic committee led by its chairperson, David Basnett, general secretary Workers, storms the Winter Palace.
General Municipal Last Saturday a Labour Party conference on