Why I left the March

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I'm unemployed and I thought -Sming on the march would be = chance to do something about anemployment. I had mixed feelngs whether it would have any elect. I thought women had been encouraged to go on the march and that there would be a lot of cier women.

I have reservations about the abour movement because it's IT 7 Moi important that women work within the male political structure but they should be allowed to organise separately. This march has really been my first experience of the labour movement. Until now I have been involved with women's groups and feminist politics.

But the women on the march are completely. unrepresentative of most women. Apart from the two women marshals, we are all under 25, there is only one black woman and most of them haven't worked since leaving school or college.

I think if I'd been more involved in the labour movement I'd have been better prepared.

One main reason for me leaving the march was the expulsion of a woman marcher from the march. She must have told someone she was nine weeks pregnant and this threw the marshals into a panic.

I am angry that no offer ways were explored to enable her to continue without walking all the way. There was no respect for her ability to decide for herself what to do.

T: 30e7: indistive the attitude to women march.

Fi have had to make personal compromises. When you have to get on with a group of people for a period of weeks, it doesn't matter if you like them or not, you have to compromise and step down all the time.

When you're surrounded by a gang of sexists you can't do anything unless you feel strong and effective.

I thought they wanted as many women as possible on the march, but no concessions are made unless someone specifically asked for them:

More women could have been encouraged to go on the march if creches and child-minding facilities were arranged. There is a woman with a child on the Western leg. Perhaps we could have walked shorter distances.

Six weeks is a long time for many women to consider sleeping rough with lots of strange men.

One male marshal has put his neck out to help women. There are some efforts going on. If there is another march, women activists should make sure they go en maste. TWO members of the delegation from the Oxford People's March for Jobs Committee, Oxford TUC and the Oxon County Association of TUC's who joined the People's March for Jobs at Towcester for its march to Milton Keynes were arrested last Saturday after incidents provoked by the march officials.

Meeting the following day, the Oxford Committee heard reports of the arrests and unanimously: passed a resolution deploring the conduct of the march marshals and demanding the national march organisers carry out an immediate inquiry into the incident.

The busload of Oxford supporters had marched for several miles behind the main march shouting anti-Tory slogans before the trouble began.

After a stop, the march reassembled. But the march marshals then insisted, without consultation, on putting a medical van immediately behind the march, forcing the supporters to trail along in its wake.

The situation was made worse by the police then ruling that no-one could march on the road behind the van.

At this point, chief marshal Collins was appealed to directly hv the Oyford contingent Ho refused to give them any as tance: Shortly afterwards, so of the Oxford marchers atter ted to join in behind the end march in front of the van. ( of these was physically attacl by People March for Jobs me bers, at which point the pol appeared and immediat arrested the Oxford marcher.

Another marcher fr Oxford was arrested shor afterwards, and both w charged with breach of the pea Both are Socialist Organi supporters who had earlier be warned by marshals for sell papers to march members.

This is yet more evider of the outrageous behaviour the Communist Party-dominat march officials. It is quite evide that their actions were politica motivated and aimed at the people who have criticised a fought against their bureaucra dictatorship since the march began.

At Sunday's meeting of t Oxford People's March for Jo Committee, the chairperson al secretary of which are CP mer bers, several people spoke of tl apparent collusion between tl march marshals and ponce to s up the arrests. The Oxford Cor mittee reaffirmed its comm ment to a full mobilisation fi the June 5 London demonstr tion._

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