Workers’ unity needed against war, terror and racism

THE SECOND wave of attacks in London on 21 July fortunately did not
cause any injuries and deaths. But they greatly increased fear,
insecurity and tension. Former Met Police Commissioner Lord Stevens has
warned London is "under attack" and could remain at risk for
the next ten or 20 years.

Ken Smith

The police shooting the following day of an innocent Brazilian man at
Stockwell tube station in south London further intensified the fear and
tension throughout Britain. This ‘shoot-to-kill’ policy is extremely
alarming to people in London and elsewhere, but particularly to Muslims
who already feared an increased racist backlash and will now think the
police could resort to killings of innocent members of their community.

Following the second London bombings and the huge bomb attack on
tourists in Egypt, but before the news that the police had shot an
innocent man, the British tabloid press had been chillingly whipping up
hysteria on the way terrorist suspects should be dealt with. "Shoot
all bombers …demand grows for suicide fanatics to be shown no
mercy", cried the Daily Express. "One down, three to go",
was The Sun’s headline commenting on the shooting at Stockwell.

The Socialist Party has totally condemned the bombing attacks, as
have the vast majority of people – including Muslims. The attacks
indiscriminately killed and injured ordinary people from many of
London’s communities. Nonetheless, the fact that very small groups of
alienated Muslims have felt motivated to carry them out is connected to
the war on Iraq, the treatment of the Palestinians and to many other
areas of the world where the imperialist powers have worsened the
situation of poor and working-class people through their drive for
economic domination.

However, the terrible actions of the suicide bombers only plays into
the hands of the enemies of working-class Muslims and all working
people, because they allow the government to respond by attacking civil
liberties, and the right-wing media and far-right parties to respond by
whipping up racial tension.

Blair got through the fortnight following the first attacks by
leaning on the reaction of shock and horror, and by preparing further
repressive legislation. He desperately attempted to establish a unity of
people behind his response, but denied any connection between the
attacks and the events in Iraq and the Middle East.

There is growing incredulity and anger at this ludicrous denial. A
Daily Mirror/GMTV poll has shown that 85% of people link the Iraq
invasion with the London bombings.

Blair’s position was fraying even before the second wave of bombings,
with the publicity surrounding reports from right-wing think tanks and
his own security services which warned of the increasing likelihood of
terrorist attacks in Britain. The right-wing Chatham House organisation,
formerly loyal supporters of Blair’s foreign policy, said that the key
problem is that Britain is "riding as a pillion passenger with the
United States in the war against terror" and that the conflict in
Iraq "gave a boost to the al-Qa’ida networks".

The day following the 21 July bombings, Blair was coming under
increasing scrutiny and pressure. Writers in the Mirror, normally pro-Labour
if not pro-Blair, put the matter succinctly. Kevin Maguire said:
"Blair still refuses to accept a connection, sticking his head in
the desert sand like an ostrich. The Premier should change his holiday
plans and stay in Britain to do some hard thinking. Sending MPs on an
obscenely long 80-day holiday in the midst of a crisis smacks of
complacency and avoiding difficult questions. Politicians need to ask
what is fanning the flames of terrorism and what can he do – what can we
do – to reduce the likelihood of further strikes?" And Paul
Routledge said that Blair’s "new standing as a leader of national
unity was coming apart at the seams".

Working people know Tony Blair has lied yet again. His actions, far
from bringing stability and peace, have made the world a much more
dangerous and insecure place. In particular, as long as British troops
remain in Iraq, innocent British people, many of whom opposed the war,
will be living in fear of attack.

But, apart from a huge sense of shock, especially in London, a mood
is also beginning to develop amongst working people that something more
needs to be done to stop further terrorist attempts – more than just the
government and the security forces creating a state of siege in some
areas and ratcheting up the fear factor.

There must be closer scrutiny and questioning by the workers’
movement of the way the police and security forces are reacting to the
terror threat, given the history of their actions and the miscarriages
of justice like the Birmingham six and Guildford four in the past.

People question whether the terrorist attacks will go away as a
result of pushing ahead with draconian security measures and bringing in
new laws that greatly erode already curtailed civil liberties. Nor do
they think that matters can be resolved by desperately trying to force
people to show ‘unity’, or a ‘stiff upper lip’ and carry on ‘as normal’.

The intensification of events means there are many issues which will
have to be urgently addressed by the workers’ movement in the coming
days and weeks. With the realisation that there could well be further
attacks to come, it is now more urgent and necessary that there is an
organised workers’ response.

Unity – in whose interests?

LONDON’S WORKERS are being urged after each terrorist atrocity to
show they will not be intimidated and to display the ‘Dunkirk Spirit’
and the ‘spirit of the Blitz’. However, workers, whilst not sympathising
with the terrorist attacks and wanting to display unity against them,
are asking questions about what interests are being served by the
‘unity’ the Blair government and London Mayor Ken Livingstone are
demanding.

After the 7/7 bombings, Blair worked hard to play on the mood for
unity, in order to bolster his own standing and the position of his
government in supporting US imperialism. And the bosses in London also
attempted to utilise the mood of unity to protect their class interests
and ensure the bombings did not affect the London economy or their
profits. The Stock Exchange, for example, carried on regardless,
ensuring the multi-billion pound transactions and profits of financial
capital were not threatened.

But it is ordinary people who are being asked to shoulder the most
risk and insecurity in the efforts to "keep London moving".

On 7 July tube drivers at a depot on the Northern Line refused to go
back to work on the line until it was declared safe to do so. Their
refusal prompted a tirade from a manager, who said they were "all
cowards", followed by a racist remark that "they should all be
wearing turbans"! Whilst the workers correctly still refused to go
back to work, a worker from a Muslim background was threatened by the
manager.

Bob Crow, leader of the RMT railworkers’ union, said on 22 July:
"We are seeking an urgent review of what should happen in an Amber
Alert. When yesterday’s attacks happened we expected the network to be
closed down and re-opened once it was deemed safe, as it was two weeks
ago, but our members were put under enormous pressure to continue as
normal when it was still far from clear what was happening

"We have made it clear that any of our members who refuse to
work in such circumstances on safety grounds will have the complete
support of the union".

For raising this issue on regional TV news on 21 July, Bob Crow was
glibly dismissed by some media commentators and London Underground
management, with the suggestion that he was trying to capitalise on the
bombings. But, the Socialist Party, and many of the millions of workers
who use London Underground, would support these necessary and urgent
demands. At the same time there should be a call for the return of
conductors on buses.

As well as helping to create a more secure environment and ensuring
better safety provision in event of emergency, organised workers can
also help ensure that there is no whipping up of hatred and paranoia
towards ethnic minorities.

Even before the second wave of bombings, there were terrible attacks,
including murder, on people from a Muslim background.

However, the vast majority of workers, particularly trade union
activists, instinctively understand the need for workers’ unity and
there have been some marvellous examples at local level of working-class
solidarity and protection of people from the threat of racist attacks.

Blair appealed for no division amongst different communities, but
this is like an arsonist calling for fires to be put out, as his
domestic and foreign policy have added to divisions rather than
countering them. His motive in trying to stop a racist backlash is to
avoid blame for it from being laid at his own door, and he wants to
avoid further tension in society over-stretching the police and security
forces.

Trade unions in Britain have an important, even crucial role in
giving a lead that can cut across the fear of terror but which will also
keep workers united in opposition to Blair and the effects of the Iraq
war. In the first place, a national demonstration against terrorism and
against war should be called.

Such a lead could develop the mood for workers’ unity against the
bombings, while linking in the demand for the withdrawal of troops and
opposing any attempt to divide workers through a racist backlash. The
way to stop the threat of further terrorist atrocities in Britain, that
lead to indiscriminate mass murder, means first of all bringing the
troops out of Iraq.

Such a movement could develop if the trade union and anti-war leaders
were to give a lead and call for the ending of Britain’s role in the
oppression of the peoples of Iraq and the Middle East and for the
removal of Blair and his neo-Conservative apologists in government.

Trade union lead needed

The trade union movement has to act decisively and effectively to
protect and safeguard the interests of working-class people, and to
ensure that the government is put under the maximum pressure to withdraw
the troops from Iraq.

The worst thing that could be done at this time is to give the
impression that the working class and all those who opposed the war are
passive bystanders in the current events. The labour movement cannot
afford to be fatalistic about the terrorist threat and the continuation
of the occupation of Iraq.

As well as the trade unions having a responsibility to act, by at
least calling a national demonstration of workers against the bombings,
the Stop The War Coalition (STWC), could also play a role in providing
leadership. However, the STWC has unfortunately not given an effective
lead in recent weeks. Some of this ineffectiveness stems from the fact
that some of their leadership – in particular members of the Socialist
Workers Party – refuse to unequivocally condemn terrorist attacks that
strike at ordinary people, and also fail to pose an alternative way
forward.

It is necessary to recognise that from whatever section of society
mistaken and damaging methods of struggle arise, the only way to combat
them is for all working people to unite in opposition, and to support a
programme that counters the divisive and anti-working class policies of
the main capitalist political parties.

Disgracefully, the Morning Star headline of 22 July was: "Damp
Squib… Underground evacuated but second wave of bombs fails to
detonate". Any tube worker, bus worker or passenger on London
Underground would have rubbed their eyes in disbelief at such a glib
headline.

The US defence department and John Reid, the Secretary of State for
Defence in Britain, have made it clear that whilst they may consider
scaling down troop numbers in Iraq within the next year, which seems
increasingly unlikely given the continuing descent into civil war there,
nevertheless there is likely to be a troop presence in Iraq for at least
a decade.

The trade unions have to campaign for the immediate withdrawal of
troops and for an alternative to the chaos and threat of civil war
inside Iraq, as well as helping to prevent further bloodshed in Britain.

The unions will have to urgently address how to assist the
development of genuine, independent, mass trade unions in Iraq which
oppose the occupation and provide workers’ defence to cut across any
attempts to divide the working class on religious or ethnic lines and a
descent into civil war.

If the British trade union movement fails to give a lead in Britain
and campaign for the removal of Blair and his government – largely
responsible for the current troubles – then the tension and pressures in
British society could intensify to the point where local trade unions
and community representatives will need to organise democratic bodies to
defend all sections of the community.

Urgent measures are needed immediately at a local level, in the form
of demonstrations, union activists meetings and material propaganda to
cut across any racist backlash and to ensure the safety of working-class
people is guaranteed.

But all the local activity needs to be brought together in a national
demonstration, mobilising tens and possibly hundreds of thousands to
show working-class unity against terrorism and against the war and
occupation, against racism and in defence of civil liberties.

The growing instability in Britain and on a world scale shows the
need to struggle to build a socialist alternative of all working people
to Blair and Bush and the capitalist system they defend. Theirs is a
system that rides roughshod over the national, religious and democratic
rights of whole peoples. Only by ending capitalism will it be possible
to begin to build a society, based on need not profit, which is capable
of meeting the aspirations of all humanity.

It is increasingly urgent to fight to build a mass workers’ movement
to oppose terrorism, imperialist wars and to struggle for a socialist
world.