Need to combat fascist threat

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"war Ditta: stressed fight againse state racism A RISING tide of fascist violence, the recent regroupment of the fascists and the concerted efforts by the state and the Tories to criminalise and isolate blacks provided the background to Searchlight's memorial meeting in London on Saturday 15 May to mark the first anniversary of the death of Maurice Ludmer, the founding editor of Searchlight.

All the speakers agreed with Searchlight's October editorial which had commented on "the desperate need for a nationally coordinated organisation that would inspire and inform antifascists and anti-racists and provide the tools for the tasks ahead."

The weakness of the antifascists was indicated by the very poor attendance of less than 70 people.

David Edgar the Institute of Race Relations (IRR) argued that the result of their economic policies had prompted the Tories to adopt an authoritarian law and order and aggressively anti-immigrant stance. In the Tory Party, including prominent MPs, there is the growth of a repatriation lobby and a growth of organisations like Tory Action and WISE Welsh, Irish, Scottish, English).

This had been accompanied by the "black muggers" and "ethnic criminality" campaign of the police and the media.

Veronica Ware, Ludmer's successor as Searchlight editor, explained how this "respectable" racism of the state, the Tories, the police and the media, had been matched by the recruitment of the fascists.

She argued that while the fascists had recovered since their General Election setbacks, the anti-fascist movement was uncordinated. For example, while the memorial meeting was taking place, local anti-racists were marching in Guildford against racist violence and yet there was nobody able to coordinate anti-racists and mobilise nationally.

Anwar Ditta's account of her struggle to keep her children provided a clear example of how organised campaigns can fight racism..

She stressed the need for unity, not only against fascists but also against he racism of the state. She cited the example of the Bradford 12, one of whom was the chairperson of her defence campaign, as an example ot the state attacking blacks.

Anna Sullivan, active in Islington ANL, was clearly disturbed at the absence of a national anti-fascist move: ment. She was, however, able to provide an example of how local anti-fasscists had fought to get the NF out of Chapel Market.

She stressed the need to mobilise support within the labour movement.

Socialist Organiser, the only left wing grouping to send a significant number of supporters from outside London, took up the call for a national anti-fascist movement.

A Socialist Organiser supporter told the meeting of the gains made at the Coventry conference against racism in setting up a local labour movement committee against racism. She said that one of the main tasks of the committee was to fight and mobilise for a national and organisation against racism. This was well received by the meeting with many people committing themselves to active support at the end.

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Organiser, Thursday 27 May,