MASS MILITANT action by the Portuguese working class has dealt a shattering blow to the reactionary forces that have been jockeying for position since the fuscist regime was overthrown on 25 April.
President Spinola for the silent majority to speak out against "extremism, right-wingers were planning a massive dernonstration in the capital city of Lisbon for Saturday.
ROAD BLOCKS
to appeals broadcast by the trade unions, workers set up roadblocks on all the roads into Lisbon. All incoming traffic was thoroughly searched, right-wing demonstrators denied admission to the city, arms scized, and anti-fascist leaflets distributed.
For several hours the right-wing appeafed to have gained the upper hand in the Goveroment. The Minister of Information (a Spinola supporter) broadcast a statement calling for the dismantling of the barricades and proclaiming the intention of the Government to do whatever is necessary to allow the demonstration in favour of His Excellency the President of the Republic to take place in order and dignity."
French journalists, hearing
rumours that Spinola had taken over rally last week, Now Spinola is gone, but the right-wing threat is very far from dead confirm these reports.
Taking up a call from Portuguese Late on Friday night, responding the right. Spinola's presence at a bull-fight organised by the "Veteran's League' became the occasion for a big right-wing full governmental powers and that Prime Minister Gonclaves (a supporter of the left-wing of the Armed Forces Movement) had been arrested contested official Government spokesmen, who refused to deny or Some time in the early hours of the morning, faced with the masaive and determined mobilisation of the workers who maintained their roadblocks, the balance shifted away from Spinola. The workers" roadblocks were then reinforced by armed soldiers, and a massive military swoop arrested some 500 well-known reactionaries former fascist politicians and military men, big landowners, and businessmen.
DANGER
Spinola and his supporters in the Government have gone, but the danger from the right is far from over. The impact of the growing economic crisis chat is hitting the country, and the fear of the middle class of the growing strength of the workers movement, could easily swing the pendulum back towards The most influential organisation in the Portuguese workers' movement-the Conmunist Party-is incapable of mecting this threat. They Have backed every move by the Government to undermine the power of the workers' organisations including the notorious trade union law i which makes the Tories Industrial Relations Act look like a piece of cake). They have steadfastiy opposed every action taken by sections of workers against the growth of reactionary forces (the national newspaper strike to back workers demanding the firing of a pro-fascist manager, the mass demonstration of shipyard workers).
If the Communist Party curried out a partial about-face in the present situation it was only because they understood that their heads were on the chopping block, and that tens of thousands of workers would go into struggle no matter what the CP bureaucrats said or did The Morning Star, paper of the British Communist Party, now lauds Spinola's resignation as a "big blow to reaction." But it was not so long ago that the British CP, and their counterparts in Portugal, were eagerly licking the boots of this veteran of Franco's and Hitler's armies, praising him as an 'ally of democracy The only war to defend democracy in Portugal is though the mobilisation of the Portuguese workers, peasants and rank-and-file soldiers in the fight Tor a sociafist Portugal That task can only be carried forward by the forces of the revolutionary left, now reinforced by thousands of workers, who, over the past few weeks, have consciously gone into strugele against the wishes and advice of the Communist Party burcaucrats Chris Balfour