One of Five Anti-Klan Demonstrators Slain in Greens of Whom Are on Fixed Incomes, Are Very As the Crowd Scattered, the Murder Boro When Gang of Racists Opened Fire
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NOVEMBER 16, 1979 50 CENTS VOLUME 43/NUMBER 44 A SOCIALIST NEWSWEEKLY /PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE WORKING PEOPLE - Ill By Janice Lynn Middleton asserted that "the balance of opinion" protesting the shah's presence in this country. In the face of a new wave of anti-imperialist in Washington favors such intervention "if the Oil workers had also threatened to strike over a struggles by Iranian workers, peasants, and young crisis worsens." government decree that they must work forty-eight people, the Carter administration is threatening to The pretext for the U.S. threats was the No hours, six days per week. take military steps against the Iranian revolution. vember 4 occupation of the U.S. embassy in Tehran The basic justice of the students' and oil workers' "An American intervention force probably would by students demanding that the U.S. extradite ex demands has been buried in the U.S. capitalist be drawn from what Secretary of Defense Harold shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to Iran to face trial news media under an ocean of lies and hysteria Brown has designated the Rapid Deployment for his countless crimes. The students are holding a blasting the Iranian people as "mobs of religious Forces-approximately 110,000 men and women number of embassy personnel and others as hos fanatics." Washington is even trying to blame the drawn from all four services," wrote correspondent tages. Iranian masses for the U.S. oil industry's plans for Drew Middleton in the November 7 New York In the oilfields of Khuzestan, strikes by oil future gas lines and soaring prices. Times. workers are said to be responsible for an oil stop The ex-shah is responsible for the torture and "An airdrop to seize the embassy and Tehran's page. There have been reports that all deliveries to murder of tens of thousands of Iranians. He plun airport would be possible, qualified sources said." the United States may be cut off by oil workers Continued on page 3 Brutal Klan murders: ere cops ·In ol ed? By Jon Hillson smashing out apartment windows, and GREENSBORO, N.C.-With the tele terrorizing the Black neighborhood; vised image of the Ku Klux Klan-Nazi there now is a slow, steady patrol of massacre of antiracist demonstrators unmarked police cars. still fresh in their minds, many here "There are a lot of cops here now," are asking: Did the police deliberately one young Black told the Militant, "but let the murderous assault take place? I got no idea why. Where were they on Local cops who tailed armed Klaners Saturday'?" and Nazis from the city limits into the This is what happened on November heart of Greensboro's Black commun 3, according to eyewitness accounts. ity on November 3 were nowhere to be The mood of assembling anti-Klan seen when the racist scum opened fire demonstrators suddenly changed as a on some seventy-five to one hundred carload of Klan and Nazi members assembling demonstrators. drove toward the crowd, shouting, Four were killed on the spot, with a "Kill the nigger SOBs." fifth dying from wounds on November A small group of demonstrators en 5. One protester remains critically circled the car, shouting back. wounded. At least nine others were One racist got out of the car and hospitalized. fired a pistol in the air. The barrage of bullets lasted from "That was the signal," one eyewit two to four minutes, as the hit squads ness told the Militant. By this time calmly loaded and reloaded shotguns, several carloads of Klaners and Nazis pistols, rifles, and automatic weapons, had pulled up behind the point car. As firing into the fleeing crowd. many as forty racists were in the con- Thus far, twelve racists have been voy. charged with four counts of first degree The armed occupants of the cars got murder and one count of conspiracy to out, aimed, and fired into the crowd. commit murder. Four others are being "They weren't in any rush," one held on charges of conspiracy to com young Black Morningside resident told mit murder. All are being held without the Militant. bond. Several local media reports have Two demonstrators were arrested. carried accounts of rock-throwing at Nelson Johnson, a leader of the action, tacks by the anti-Klan protesters, in an was charged with inciting to riot. attempt to convey the impression that Willena Cannon, who intervened when the heavily armed racist goons were the cops grabbed Johnson, was somehow "provoked." But film clips of charged with interfering with an of the shooting and the moments leading ficer. up to it show nothing of the kind. The Morningside community, where "Look around here," one resident the killings took place, is marked by an told the Militant. "There's no rocks uneasy calm. Residents, the majority anywhere." One of five anti-Klan demonstrators slain in Greens of whom are on fixed incomes, are very As the crowd scattered, the murder boro when gang of racists opened fire. Cops had young or elderly. ers began to leave. On the street where armed men Police then arrived on the scene, Klan-Nazi assassins under surveillance, but left the poured lead into demonstrators, Continued on page 9 scene before murderous assault began. In Our Opinion VOLUME 43/NUMBER 44 NOVEMBER 16, 1979 CLOSING NEWS DATE-NOV. 7 1,000 days to go, three more states must ratify ruling class is on the offensive to exacerbate Jan. 13 can be for the ERA to become law. To win, the pro divisions within the working class as part of ERA forces must go on the offensive. January its antilabor assault. ERA turning point 13 can be the turning point. January 13 can be a battering ram against The January 13, 1980, march and rally for Whatever state we are in, we live in an this drive. It can put labor on the offensive. the Equal Rights Amendment in Richmond, unratified nation. A nationwide outpouring of It can go a long way to strengthen the Virginia, has the, potential to be the most support for the Virginia march will help the fighting alliance between the labor, women's, significant action ever for the ERA. fight in all fifteen unratified states. and civil rights movements that is needed for Called by Labor for Equal Rights Now ERA is not mere words on a page. It is a the battles ahead. (LERN), it has won broad sponsorship from fight for equal pay, equal job opportunities, This need to unite with allies in the labor both labor unions and the women's movement. and equal status under the law. movement was a major theme at the recent January 13 deserves and needs the full effort At stake is whether women will go forward national conferences of the National Organi and mobilization of all ERA supporters. and break down the barriers of resistance to zation for Women (NOW) and the Coalition of full equality or whether they will be stopped, Labor Union Women (CLUW). Both organiza Since the 100,000-strong July 9, 1978, march turned back, and the movement broken. tions have endorsed January 13. on Washington forced Congress to extend the What happens to ERA will also help deter ERA deadline to June 1982, the ERA drive has William Lucy, president of the Coalition of mine whether a fighting labor movement is faltered. No new states have ratified since Black Trade Unionists, will speak at January built in the next period to take on the ruling Indiana in January 1978. With fewer than 13. And Black trade unionists-male and class offensive against all working people. female-are taking the lead in the fight for the The growing involvement of the labor move ERA and women's rights. ment in the fight for women's rights is one Women are playing a big new role in the Speakers list aspect of the rising militancy of working peo Labor for Equal Rights Now has released a labor movement. Reflecting the fact that ple. women make up nearly 50 percent of the work partial list of speakers for the January 13, 1980, Workers are increasingly seeking to act' march and rally in Richmond. It includes: force, union women's committees and ERA through their unions-and to organize unions committees are growing. More women are Julian Carper, president, Virginia State AFL where they have none-to fight back against being elected to union office, including in CIO; employer and government attacks ranging predominantly male locals. Union-sponsored Eleanor Smeal, president, National Organiza from layoffs to high prices and the energy women's conferences have sprung up across tion for Women; ripoff, from speed-up to environmental destruc William Wynn, president, United Food and the country. Women unionists in turn are tion and the threat of war. Commercial Workers union, joining CLUW and NOW and thus strengthen Addie Wyatt, international vice-president, Uni These attacks are educating the entire labor ing these organizations. ted Food and Commercial Workers, and movement in the heat of battle on the need for executive vice-president, Coalition of Labor unity. More and more working people-male By coming forward in the unions to fight for Union Women; and female-are realizing what the LERN their rights and the rights of all workers, William Lucy, president, Coalition of Black education/action resolution passed at its Au women are pointing the way forward for the Trade Unionists, and secretary-treasurer, gust 12 conference explained: kind of progressive social role the unions can American Federation of State, County and "The entire labor movement will gain as play.