Remember Bloody Sunday

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THE ANNUAL Bloody Sun- after a few weeks' silence day commemoration march repeated its demand after planned for January 31 in the fascists' announcements. ed by an announcement by editorial, the paper hit out at Ol Coventry has been threatenthe National Front and the New National Front that they intend to march on the same day.

It is the tenth commemoration of the shooting dead of 13 unarmed demonstrators in Derry on January 30 1972 by British troops.

The Coventry Evening Telegraph called for a ban in November, just after the march was announced, and In a strongly-worded both marches, and enutu us comment with the following revealing statement: 'A ban would not be an infringement of basic democratic rights. Marches are not the real way to put across points of view or to influence people. They are no more than a show of strength, even of intimidation.

'As instruments of education and persuasion, they are only slightly less subtle than a bludgeon. Those who wish to state political or religious views in a reasoned and peaceful manner wu sum ve ayor tv mannot will otill he ahle to đo so'.

The ideas contained in this comment are increasingly being pushed by the ruling class in Britain. In the last ten months, there have been 29 bans on marches in England and Wales, ranging from 2½ days to a 43-day ban in Liverpool..

In London there have been bans on all marches throughout the city for 116 days of those ten months, i.e. nearly half the time.

Those in the labour movement who mistakeniy see siaie bans as an answer to fascist violence will possibly to see the error of their ways, but they are falling into a trap laid for them by those who wish to see marches outlawed: al together.

At the time of writing it is still not certain whether the police will ask the council to apply for a ban, but this is considered highly likely.

Conscience

Cllr John Hughes, a member of the couneil committee which would be responsible for such a call, told Socialist I won't be • supporting any bans. It would be different if we could ban the counter - demonstrations, but we can't.

We saw what happened last time. You just get blanket ban.

I think it is important that this march goes ahead.

I'm not necessarily a strong supporter of extreme views.

I don't support bombings and so on. But we need to be reminded about Bloody Sunday.

We need our consciences jogging about the terrible -things British troops did then. We need to keep jogging our consciences until we get a solution to the whole problem - a united Ireland' Use these last few days for the maximum mobilisation for the march. Assemble 1.30pm, Edgewick Park, Foleshill Rd, Coventry.