Communist Party The same message is spread by every reformist leader in the black and white communities of Britain. They seem mortally afraid of the self-organisation of blacks, or indeed for that matter, trade unionists in struggle. The massive resistance in the black communities provoked by the London murders has dramatically underlined the differences between the reformist and revolutionary approaches to the struggle against racism. And on 26 June the Communist Party's paper, the Morning Star, spelt out just what these were:
1. Instead of supporting the self-defence of the black communities, the Star calls for a strengthened Race Relations Act. Yet the Race Relations Act has been used more often against anti-racists than racists. The most recent example of this was the arrest in Rotherham on 19 June of Ann Silverleaf. She was done under the Public Order Act and the Race Relations Act for painting the slogan 'black and white unite and fight.
By calling for the strengthening of the Race Relations Act, the CP is calling for the strengthening of police powers that are almost always used against blacks. In terms of dealing with white racists, that Act is totally useless: rememberRobert Relf wasn't jailed for contravening the Race Relations Act, he was jailed for contempt of court. There is absolutely nothing to stop him from selling his house on racial grounds as long as he takes down the nasty notice in his garden when a court mstructs mim to.
Self-defence What the Star's demand also ignores is that the black communities. particularly the youth, just as often need self-defence against police harassment as overt racist attacks. The institutionalised racism of the police cannot be overem phasised it's no accident that they invited Enoch Powell to address a seminar keep it cool, leave it to the police, go home. organised by the Police Federation in Cambridge on 11 April and that Powell in turn said that the police 'evidence' to the Select Committee on race relations associating muggings with blacks was beautifully put. WE SAY: Labour movement support for black self-defence, first step to the self-defence of the whole workers movement.
No controls 2. Syd Bidwell MP, leader of the Tribune group, wails in the same issue of the Star that there is no simple answer as some suggest to the question of immigration. The CP's own writer, Ken Graves, maintains a discreet silence while calling for the ending of the racist Immigration Act of 1971.
What the Star doesn't say is that all legislation on immigration control has been racist and will continue to be. Any immigration controls suggest that someone else - namely foreign workers - are responsible for bad housing, rotten education and declining social services.
WE SAY: an end to all immigration controls.
3. "To answer the appearance of fascism with impulsive, un-thought out, little supported, but understandable reactions leading to impromptu violence or physical confrontation has proved counter-productive, writes Ken Graves. Yet it was precisely the activity of the far lett and of many Communist and Labour Party supporters in confronting the fascists on the streets and pinning the Nazi label on the National Front which helped to produce the internal warfare and eventual split in the NF that for a time weakened its actions.
We also demand that the Labour Government ban all provocative marches and demonstrations by the NF and similar fascist bodies; but when the Labour Government and Labour councils refuse to do this, we have to operate such a ban ourselves. Obviously the question in volves tactical and political considerations, and in different circumstances we may decide that this is not the most effective way to get across anti-fascist propaganda - but that doesn't mean socialists don't adopt a clear position of no platform for Powell and the fascists.
WE SAY: No free speech for racists.
The result of the CP's policies is that they end up giving a left veneer to the policies of the trade union and Labour leadership, which have done nothing to combat racism. Ken Graves describes as 'perhaps the most significant achievement over the past few years' the creation of the TUC equal rights committee! Most trade unionists won't even know it exists.
What they will know is that the TUC has called for the ending of all work permits for overseas workers in this country and has been carrying out a reactionary campaign for import controls. Graves's article fails to mention these things.
Similarly, the big welcome given to the decision of the Labour Party to organise a campaign to combat racism fails to mention that included in this is a plea that no counterdemonstrations be held to fascist marches. True to its colours, Tribune supported this line and urged the calling off of the 4,000-strong antiNational Front demonstration in Rotherham on 19 June!
Dangers The line of the reformists poses big dangers for the black communities and the anti-racist struggle in the coming months, emphasising as it does Government legislation which has simply served in the past to institutionalise racism. This danger is doubly real when the whole strategy of the ruling class is to 'tame' Britain's two million exploited blacks through a process of co-option of the traditional leadership of the black communities through legislation like the Race Relations Act and selective repression against its militant youth vanguard.
That's why socialists have to be absolutely clear and unequivocal in their support for black self-defence, for the ending of all immigration controls, and for no platform for Powell and the fascists.
JAMES DRAKE
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When Gurdip Singh Chaggar was murdered, the Asian youth of Southall poured onto the streets with a simple but burning message: Racist murders must be avenged -we'll get you, racist scum." But as the militant youth milled around the spot where Chaggar died, they got a very different message from the traditional leaders of the black community and the