Bernadette speaks in Spain Brits Feel the Pressure

Gdansk Strikes in 1980. p In East:Germany also, the regime is reacting sharply against any demonstration of support among Kast German workers for Poland’s the GDR. the Free German Trade Day Celebrations.

the report says that seven workers dustrial plants in Eastern .Germany gen, the union machine tool factMaxhutte in Unterwellenborg and Another worker by the a name of sum of 10,000 marks to Solidarity. Supporters of Freé Speech and the H.Block Prisoners have triumphed again. Bernadette Mc Aliskey has spoken the H-Blocks campaign and the Fourth in Spain despite a Government ban. She was due to speak in support of the Prisoners at Catalonian Independence Since the Spanish state oppresses the national minorities within its boundaries, it was disturbed at the obvious parallels drawn between the H-Block /Armagh campaign and the struggles of the Catalan and Basque peoples.

Bernadette was invited to Spain by the Liga Communista Revolutionaria /Liga Kommunista Iraultzea (LCR /LKI) the section of the Fourth International in the Spanish state. After Bernadette was expelled from Barcelona to Paris, the French section of the Fourth International, the Ligue Communiste Revolutionnaire (LCR) organised a publicity campaign. SO members of the French LCR occupied the British Airways Office in Paris in support of the prisoners. The LCR, on foot of a press conference which was carried in most European papers at which Bernie made a statement on the ban imposed on her, organised her appearance at the Catalan celebrations.

Over 70,000 people heard of the prisoners struggle and of the British refusal to grant the five demands. International solidarity is a vital part of International is playing its part. It is a world wide socialist movement (which Peoples Democracy is discussint joining) which has, through its national parties and groups, been working for the prisoners. The Portuguese section were the main force behind an August march, of 10,000people; in Australia the FI members there, the Socialist Workers Party, are the major part along with Republicans in the H Block/Armagh committees in many of the major cities; In Mexico a leading member of the Mexican section Manuel Aguila de Mora debated! the hunger strike for over one hout on National T V with the British Ambassador to that country. In Britain the International Marxist Group has been to the fore for the past 13 yaars in the Irish Solidarity movement. These are but brief mentions of the role that the constituent parts of the Fourth International have played in aiding the Irish Struggle. Its ability to expand that work will no doubt be aided by the present discussions between the main leaders of the FI and Peoples’ Democracy.

For us we intend to make internationalism, not just a ‘good idea’ but a living part of our political existance and contrution to-the Irish struggle.