In the long run the freedom of a nation is measured by the freedom In this Issue: of its lowest class; every upward OUT OF THIS WORLD step of that class to the possibility of possessing higher things raises the BEYOND 1984 standard of the nation in the scale BHAVE ON DEMOCRACY of civilization; every time that class is beaten back into the mire, the CORRESPONDENCE whole moral tone of the nation suffers.' J A M E S CONNOLLY JULY 13 1963 Vol 24 No 22 THE ANARCHIST WEEKLY-4d. 'J ’HE interest shown by the Press sions are that “if the tendency to in the anti-nuclear movement The Press revives the wilder and wilder extremiism con­ as a whole is of quite a different tinues, which seems highly likely” nature now than it was, say six the “influential figures” in the CND years ago. Then the Press was pre­ may decide that “the time has come pared to publicise the marches and to quit”. To our minds Canon demonstrations from the “human Collins, like Mr, Macmillan, is im­ angle”—sore feet, wet bottoms, long­ Anarchist Bogey mune to hints, unpopularity and haired, bearded youths, barefooted, shoving. He loves his job and the unwashed girls, and so on—and is marching from Trafalgar Square to interviews with thjL Press is to in­ anarchists are the biggest danger • for headlines that go with it (and he Buckingham Palace led by Lord Russell vite them to put their questions in those of us who Want C.N.D. to be a gets more of them from the CND tended to write-off any political con­ on the day the King and Queen arrive, protest of. decency." tent the movement might have had. writing and to supply them with platform than from the pulpit). And believes that there is a danger of On the other hand, in the section At most they were a nuisance that Violence from unruly elements. written answers. .This attempt to like Mr. Macmillan he will not quit a “democracy” had to tolerate in its avoid misunderstandings and mis­ of the “Focus” feature dealing With so long as he feels he has a mission Special Branch men have prepared a the Committee of 100—a mixture midst. All that has now changed. report on hooligans who' gatecrashed the statements invariably drives the to fulfil, and a possible clue to what The Press now takes a more hostile Aldermaston C.N.D. march at Easter.' news-hounds away; 'never to return of interview and “atmosphere”—the that is may be found in the final line, and cannot overlook the pos­ The Anarchist movement in Britain is with their written questions The following paragraph is inserted: paragraphs of this “Focus” investi­ sible consequences of the “politi­ non-violent but it is . known that there Sunday Times (complete with photo­ Although the Communist Party has gation on the Mixed-up World of is a rtiinority of dissenters. At present grapher) was among them. But this made sporadic attempts to take over both cisation” of the movement. And of the Committee and C.N.D., the Com­ Canon Collins and the other “influ­ course they are quite right in sens­ a controversy on the use of force is did not prevent them from including ential figures” in CND; being carried out in the correspondence munist element is thought to be tiny. ing a growing maturity in spite of the anarchists in their “Focus” But there is a wide measure of agree­ Nuclear disarmers of all shades of a possible falling off in the number columns of the anarchist journal feature on the “Mixed-Up World of F reedom . ment with the views of the Federation opinion agree on one thing—frustration, of “activists”, and feeling just a CND” last Sunday,,. And who bet- of London Anarchists who crowned the and hence hasty and extreme action little alarmed at what might be the Note the “anarchist extremists act­ .ter to quote (or rais-quote?) than last Aldermaston demonstration by often results from increasing attempts political prospects if the present ing independently of any organisa­ the king-pins of official CND-ism. deliberately breaking up the march itself. by authority to restrict their, protests. trend continues. One can expect tion” “who will stop at nothing” Thus Canon Collin's is quoted as Notice again how the “views” (un­ Canon Collins, speaking with great that the tactic of the Press will “will become violent”. They quote saying that defined) of the Federation of Lon­ passion, should have the last word. therefore be to seek to work up Michael Harwood of the Committee As an anarchist fringe has recently don .Anarchists are linked to their “I think the authorities are mad, quite fears of insecurity in the “respect­ of 100 as saying that he believed been very prominent in the movement alleged “deliberate breaking up” of made to bottle up this kind of frustration able” middle classes, and to divide there was a “danger of violence the task [of keeping ‘the right kind of the Aldermaston march. and you can quote me on that. It will from unruly elements” and disclose balance in CND] is all the more difficult. Of course this is the necessary only get worse. There’s always a risk the movement loosely joined around that in the face of provocation people the nuclear disarmament movement that Special Branch men have pre­ “Inevitably this means; that we sacrifice background material from which pared u report on “hooligans who:a good deal of support for what you to draw blood-curdling conclusions will despair* of democracy.” by scare stories and suggestions that might call the more normal public., certain “undesirable” elements are gate-crashed the Aldermaston and to drive a wedge into this move­ To the extent that Canon Collins march”. This was immediately fol­ And Professor Richie Calder, vice- and his friends are in fact the voices infiltrating the movement and driv­ chairman of CN1> who said that he ment of the people which still resists ing out the moderate elements. And lowed by a reference to the non­ the political parties’ kiss of death. of- moderation and “protests of de­ violent nature of the anarchist move­ did not approve! of widening the cency” one would expect that the in this campaign the anarchist bogey movements,,, ternifjof reference, he-. (Even the Communists, surely the ment,in Britain whieliJiaasys&Jiaz. m w ill loom large. Already. -yondnheT(^q^a^SHft#ailded!: >> ’ ■ experienced infiltrators --tactic -of- the -Prats- - U , cf .reaction amples of this new line have a ^minority of diSSbntefS” . K&aders political racket, have got nowhere. would aim at strengthening their of the Sunday Telegraph will put “Anarchist Jle/nents have always been peared in the columns of the Sun­ latent—now they,; are coming out. Why,' the poor dears have been hand. The Sunday Times piece day Telegraph and the Sunday two and tow together and conclude You’ve got to remember this generation blamed for all the trouble in Scot­ though not as slighting as the Press Times. The former which special­ that the “unruly elements” and the has strontium in its bones and sputniks land “caused by a lunatic fringe of has tended to be hitherto does not, ised in uncovering Trotskyte con­ “hooligans” are in fact this “minor­ in its eyes; older people can’t under­ anarchists”. We have Professor in this writer’s opinion, do this more spiracies and the like, published a ity of dissenters”. stand.” Calder’s word for this and for the than half heartedly. But perhaps ■ The Sunday Telegraph piece nat­ Calder is also convinced that most of fact that the biggest danger to the the Press is just slow in changing its news item which we reprint in full: the trouble in Scotland has been caused The Special Branch fears that anar­ urally aroused interest in the Press by a lunatic fringe of anarchists, and not CND as a “protest of decency” line, and that it’s only a question of chist extremists acting independently of world and specifically in the relaT the Communists who have sometimes comes not from the CP but from the time before they canonise Collins in any organisation will become violent tionship of the anarchists to, the got the blame. “People do anything . terrible anarchists!). Fleet Street and witch-hunt the during the official visit of King Paul Committee of 100. Our policy on under the C.N.D. label but here the And the Sunday Times’ conclu- “wild extremists”. and Queen Frederika of the Hellenes on July 9-IZ INDUSTRIAL NOTES They know that these extremists will stop at nothing to embarrass the Royal visitors. Demonstrations are being arranged by Earl Russell’s “Save Greece Now" committee. Support is being given also by the STRIKES & PROTESTS BY FRENCH WORKERS Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, the Committee of 100, the League for Demo­ YVTORKERS in France are once again of the low wages and of the under­ test against the schedules of hours injured in the head and was carried off cracy in Greece and minority groups demonstrating and taking indus­ development in the area. He gives his worked during the peak periods of bleeding while Security Guards forced from Greek and Cypriot students’ organ­ trial action against the policies of de support but at the same time seems to travel. the tractors and marchers off the road isations. They are all non-violent. Gaulle’s government. The Paris Metro favour “frank and permanent talks” so While these disputes have been going into the ditches.