[the road to protest about the Greenham Common…]
Socialist Organiser1983 1983-02-24Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 3 →
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the road to protest about the Greenham Common jailings. Traffic was stopped for over half an hour outside the RAF recruiting office in Hull's city centre. Over 30 women and some men supporters sang by the roadside and asked passers-by to sign a petition.
The protest was peaceful from start to finish. The women, including two under 16, were arrested after being dragged from the road by the police. They were released at ten minute intervals from 11pm that night, after being held for 10 hours.
A sizeable picket attended the court at 9.30 on Monday morning, and the defendants were bound over on surety of £200, with the prosecution case dropped and no convictions 00 record. TUESDAY February 15 saw a maśs demonstration outside Newbury Magistrates' Court in defence of the Greenham women.
About 600 people picketed from Jam, providing an enthusiastic chorus of support for the women who were arrested on New Year's Day while occupying Greenham Common US Air Force base.
Some trade union delegations joined the picket, including representatives of the NUM and the CPSA. The women's movement and the Socialist Workers' Party contributed a healthy crowd of supporters, but mobilisation by local CNDs and Labour Parties was by far too sparse.
There were very brief brushes with Newbury police, whose vans were met by dozens of sit-down protesters as they tried to drive through the picket.
The women inside the court who were awaiting sentence received rapturous cheers when they briefly appeared at a window.
The day was a success, only slightly marred by a minority of middle-class women who seemed implacably hostile to socialists and trade unionists (of both sexes) who were chanting Tory slogans.
Inevitably, if the disarmament movement achieves success, it will be through the united actions of workers - female and male, black and white, employed and on the dole. Socialists must carry these arguments to sections of the labour, women's and peace movements who try to shroud the issue in middle class mysticism and illusions that it is possible to persuade Thatcher to disarm.
Scrap the bombs! No jail sentences for the Greenham heroines!
Cheryl Valentine
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Organiser February 24 Page no.121