LAST SATURDAY Coventry ISR hit the streets for its first public activity, with a stall campaigning against low pay and for a mass socialist/anti-capitalist movement.
“With a banner of Che Guevara behind the stall, and songs by the likes of the The Clash, Sex Pistols and Rage against the Machine blaring out across the precinct from a stereo, youth were queueing up to sign our petitions and take our leaflets,” said Paul from Coventry.
“We got phone numbers and emails of eight young people who were interested in finding out more about ISR and future activities. And we sold five pamphlets containing the ISR founding statement. A great start for ISR in Coventry and this after our first meeting on Monday where eleven turned up to hear Christian from Manchester talk about the life and legacy of Che Guevara”.
Leeds and Leicester organised regional days of action against Gap. In Leeds, four security guards prevented ISR members from entering the shop to leaflet staff and handed out Gap leaflets to customers claiming Gap don’t use sweated labour. However these were more than answered by the ISR leaflets detailing wages and conditions of workers making Gap clothes around the world.
In London, ISR held a protest outside Andersen Consulting against big business involvement in public services. Ian Page, Socialist Party councillor for Pepys ward in Lewisham, handed in a letter of protest from ISR. There was interest from passers-by, particularly when Tony Blair turned up to show his support for Andersen.
