"It's silly", says Matthew Cunnigan, who lives on Claremont Road.
"They have no right to cut down all trees around here, or tear down houses when people don't have a place to live!" Alongside the campaign in Leytonstone, the Hackney Alliance against the M11 Link has recently been formed.
Both campaigns expressed concern about the effects an increase in traffic will have on health, and argued that the gov ernment should be diverting resources into improving public transport. Improved public transport is desperately needed in Hackney were there is no Tube line and over half of the population do not have access to a private car. A spokesperson for the City and East London Health Authority explained there is extensive evidence to the relationship between pollution and health problems, in particular with asthma. The campaigns against the M11 have also established links with other campaigns against road building throughout the country.
Get Active! The Leytonstone campaign can be contacted on 081-558 2638. Contact the Hackney Alliance on 081-986 3653, 081-8029710 and 071-249 3779.
and Away •bosnia • sweden ... • By Linn Hjort n 1975, Sweden got an abortion law which is still in use. A woman can have free abortion until 12 weeks, and she doesn't have to talk to any 'professional' about her choice. It doesn't matter how young she is, her parents don't have to be involved.
After 12 weeks, abortion is agreed only after consulting a psychologist, but only 50 per cent tion. of all women actually do that. group, A while ago, the Swedish government laid a proposition to change that law.
New law It said that if a person, try. who wants to become a doctor or nurse has moral or religious doubts about abortion, this subject could be totally left out of the education. And he or she would still be considered as fully educated.
The proposed law didn't pass through, but it gave a big blow to the forces 0915-29900 fighting the right to abor- woman.
Once a year, a religious 'the Words of Life", organises a march through Stockholm. This year they managed to the gather about 7,000 peo- every day ple from the whole coun With joyful songs and music, lots of children group. and coloured balloons with "Yes to life" on, they try to convince everyone just outside who gets in their way that their goal is to save lives that. - the lives of the unborn children.
Dangers What they don't talk about is the pregnant La session in the memory It's quite clear that a of all these women. woman who risks her own In the middle of the life for an abortion, she night the small delegareally can not have a tion drove to one of the baby. Even facts such as churches owned by "the 500 women dying Words of life". after being couple of hours, at 3am, badly wounded by illegal 500 crosses stood in abortions remain un- front of that church and heard of by this fanatical 500 candies were shinWing in the dark. Protest The purpose with this Some young socialists. thing was to come out in Stockholm the news and the result made an action out of was photographs and articles in several papers. Late one evening ten Hopefully at least some young women and men people will find out the worked really hard mak- connection between life ing 500 crosses and find- and death - and free aboring 500 candles, to have tion. Portugese • By Jodley Green When the Pornguese government increased university fees by more than 400 per cent they had a fight on their hands. Portuguese students had previously paid £30 towards their fees, and 40% of students were exempt.
Fees
Now, everyone has to pay £140. Portugal is one of the poorest countes n cooe and £140 is more than the minimum wage! After a But the students aren't taking it lying down -they took to the streets in the biggest demonstrations Portugal has seen in twenty years.
Revolution
These demonstrations have been attacked by the police - the first time that police attacked a demonstration since the Revolution in 1974 which overthrew a students win fascist dictatorship. Portuguese students not only face police repression, but also laws limiting the size of student organisations.
Despite this the student protests have been enormously successful: A huge student movement has developed.
Resignations
The mobilisations have brought down three education ministers in a row. And most students are boycotting the payment of fees. They have found that the more they struggle, the more they win. The fight in Portugal is an inspiration to all students who are against the grant cuts and worsening conditions in higher education. They show us the way to fight. Massive mobilisations on the streets can force the government to back down. What we need is a student movement prepared to fight.