Have  we  the right to condemn?

by 'Black Sheep'

He has been jailed for refusing to pay fines, arising from the 
occupation and vandalising of Sheriff Officers premises.

He has been arrested on numerous occasions, the most recent being 
during the attack on the 'Pollok Free State' camp against the M77 
by police and Wimpey employees on the 22nd March.

He is the first socialist outwith the Labour Party to achieve 
instant public recognition since the days of John McLean, and is 
a proven communicator, whether on TV or Radio, or in speaking 
with working class people.

He doesn't drink or smoke, his reputation is intact.

So why does he incur such wrath amongst anarchists and other 
revolutionaries ?

The answer is simple: the Trafalgar Square Riot.

So, why is the Riot so important to the anarchists and why do 
anarchists south of the border know so little of Tommy Sheridan 
since that one glorious sunny day 5 years ago?

The story of the riot is well documented in the Acab Press 
pamphlet, "Poll Tax Riot, 10 hours that shook Trafalgar 
Square". Militant members, the stewards of huge marches that day 
in Glasgow and London were appalled at what they saw as the 
degeneration of the massive London march, and the media's 
spotlight on the battle in the square at the expense of news 
featuring 100,000 demonstrating in London and 20,000 in Glasgow.

Tommy Sheridan was flown down to appear at the end of the London 
rally and as the 'leader' of the All Britain Anti Poll Tax 
Federation was pitched into the controversy surrounding the 
police attack on demonstrators. Sheridan and Steve Nally, the 
Militant London activist who was the Secretary of 'the Fed.' were 
instructed by the Militant leadership, then led by Peter Taffe 
and the ailing Ted Grant that the riot was a 'godsend' to the 
Tories and would  'alienate' activists from the anti poll tax 
movement. The script was that "200 to 250 of these individuals 
intent on causing trouble" had sabotaged the march (Tommy 
Sheridan BBC 31-3-90).

Urged by the 'consensus conspiracy' that passes for news 
coverage, Tommy declared "we condemn it totally" and both he and 
Nally came out with the statement that "our Federation is going 
to be conducting an internal inquiry to try and root out the 
troublemakers"  (Sheridan, LWT News 1st April) "...which will go 
public and if necessary name names" (Nally, ITN 1st April).

In the months to come there was uproar in the APTF, both at 
federation level and in the local Anti-poll tax groups. Dozens of 
houses in Hackney and elsewhere were raided by riot police. The 
media conducted their populist witch-hunt  to identify the 
'ringleaders'. Eventually the clamour died down. Instead of 
resistance to the poll tax disintegrating it was Thatcher's 
government which was rocked and a salutary lesson was learned as 
to 'who your friends were'. The so-called internal inquiry never 
got beyond the drawing board, such was the level of outrage that 
basic solidarity with the marchers attacked by the police, 
imprisoned and in some cases jailed, had been breached.

A year later Militant Labour was formed in Scotland, most of 
their members having been expelled from their beloved Labour 
Party. Militant Labour elsewhere took longer to make an impact, 
which in Scotland, especially clydeside, was helped by Tommy 
Sheridan's second place to Labour in the Parliamentary Election 
of 1992, closely followed by his and another victory in the 
Pollok ward in the District Elections of the same year.

In Scotland, the media spotlight has continued, as Tommy can 
always provide "rent a quote", especially during the protests 
against water privatisation and a continued guerrilla war against 
the dreaded Sheriff Officers. Recently the attention has dimmed, 
especially with the emergence of the eloquent Lynsey Keenan of 
Earth First connected to the M77 issue. Outside Glasgow, Scottish 
Militant Labour has not made much of an impact with the partial 
exception  of Dundee, and the political arena is still dominated 
by Labour with the Scottish Nationalists trying to muscle in. 
Elsewhere in Britain, Militant has not achieved the impact or 
benefits from the organisational stranglehold on the late 
lamented anti poll tax movement, and they are just another 
trotskyite marginalised sect along with the SWP and all the 
others, too numerous and unworthy of mention.

Recently in mid February, the Glasgow Anarchists were host to a 
visit by 20 comrades from Tyneside, kindred spirits from a 
similar working class city: Newcastle. As with previous sorties 
by english and welsh anarchists north there is a culture shock, 
and this was  shown in their reaction to Tommy Sheridan up on the 
platform in George Square at the start of the M77/ Criminal 
Justice Act Demo. It is hardly surprising that Tommy Sheridan is 
viewed in the same light as Nally and the other Militant Labour 
leaders. In "10 hours" the quotes taken from videos of the 
Trafalgar Sq. riot is followed by the assertion that  Militant is 
"an organisation that is opposed to the working class fighting 
back". This may be true in England & Wales, Scottish anarchists 
reserve judgement on this subject. For Scottish Militant, it 
simply appears false.

The reason being is that Militant strategy has changed 
considerably from their days as an entrist Tendency. It is 
certainly true that few anarchists can match the Militant members 
from Pollok and elsewhere for their dedication to direct action. 
Nor are they disarmed by the ethic of pacifism, with many arrests 
associated with 'fighting back' literally, or failing to respect 
the property of  Sheriff Officers* and their sub-species. Part of 
this stems from their recuitment of young people from the housing 
schemes and the everyday common sense of direct action if you 
have nothing to lose. As mentioned Tommy Sheridan has led by 
example, even after elected to the Council, and faced a jail 
sentence and countless arrests.

Of course the appeal of direct action to Scottish Militant Labour 
has to be understood. There have been examples in history where 
Communist Party members took part in such actions, and even the 
SWP at times have to show their 'mettle'. The difference is that 
Militant now places community struggles at the centre of their 
strategy, no longer giving it second billing to workplace 
disputes and confrontation is part of the way people can see 
through the role of Labourism, as defenders of the status quo. 
Even as far as 'controlling' actions, a level of sophistication 
appears to have been adopted. The Alliance Against the Criminal 
Justice Bill, rechristined the Defiance Alliance is a case in 
point. Unlike the front organisation character of the Scottish 
SWP's "Coalition", the Alliance involves ravers, animal libbers, 
anarchists and  - especially Earth First. Such was the 
structureless nature of the Alliance, the Scottish Federation of 
Anarchists tried to bring up the formal structure of the 
organisation at the February Alliance conference. Yes, Militant 
are dominant, but such the poor record (outside demonstrations) 
of anarchist involvement it could be a case of - by default.

This begs the question. We have a right to be lazy, but have we 
revelled in it for too long. Many anarchists drop out because 
they've 'done their bit', had their youthful rebellion, got 
wasted and waken up to the reality of exploitation from such a 
dreamstate, and in the process collective action goes out the 
window. We have lacked the sophistication to realise that 
politics isn't stuck in a mould, and that we have no right to 
patent direct action as our idea. Possibly, of course, Glasgow 
Militants are a special case, and the charismatic Tommy has 
skills rarely seen in the revolutionary mindset. No doubt, taken 
the longer view, old Bakunin will be proved right again. Lenin's 
teachings are still followed by Sheridan, down to his assertion  
in his recent book that there are working class anarcho-
syndicalists who understand struggles and the majority  are an 
infantile rabble prone to sectarianism and manipulation by the 
State, and he believes all English Anarchists belong to the 
latter camp! 

Our criticism of Militant will only stand up if we** have a 
voluntary commitment to meet the dedication that their Party 
demands. Anarchist strategy and organisation will have to develop 
- the formation of the Scottish Federation of Anarchists is a 
small step, but isn't enough. Questions will have to answered 
about who anarchism appeals to, why, and why we let ourselves be 
marginalised or out manoeuvred time & time again, by the State 
and by statist revolutionaries. Let's put aside the nonsensical  
assessment that Sheridan is scarred for life due to Trafalgar 
Square, respect his and Glasgow Militant's commitment to direct 
action, match it by our own and, after eating some 'humble pie', 
rediscover a purpose beyond 'playing hard to get' away from the 
theatre of demonstrations.

* Baliffs  south of the border
** This criticism may apply to Glasgow Anarchists more than some 
of their English counterparts!

