EVERYONE claims to be in favour of anti-racist and antifascist unity. But the more we talk about unity the less there is. Not one of the existing anti-racist organisations unites all those opposed to racism and fascism and all have serious weaknesses.
It would be much better if the existing anti-racist groups united in a single organisation, led by Black people. But at the moment anti-racist unity will almost certainly mean building local coalitions to campaign around specific issues.
• The Anti Nazi League is predominantly a front controlied by the Socialist Workers Party.
•i Youth Against Racism in Europe - whilst less sectarian than ANL - is under the control of Militant Labour.
• The Anti-Racist Alliance has a lot of support amongst trade unions and in the Black communities, but refuses to collaborate with other organisations. Its current leadership is also under attack by Black activists for failing to deal with any of the major issues facing black communities in the UK'.
Socialist Outlook has long argued for unity in action against racist attacks. We have tried to bring together all those who want to oppose racism and fascism.
Our supporters played an important role in the Unity Committee that organised the successful May Day march against racism in Manchester. We have stressed the importance of the campaign to close down Campsfield.
Much of the left has ignored Campsfield. None of the antiracist organisations has made it a central issue. Yet the detention of large numbers of Jamaicans over Christmas received wide publicity and led to protests by Transport Union leader Bill Morris. Recent hunger strikes by Algerian detainees have also made it a focus.
Campsfleid
Campsfield is important because at present the main threat to Black people in Britain, and elsewhere in Europe, comes from the racist, capitalist state.
This does not mean we should ignore fascist activities and racist street attacks.
We have to insist on the right of Black people to defend themselves from racist attacks, whoever the perpetrators. Self defence is no offence! The labour movement must rally behind black communities which fight back against racist vio lence.
But state racism and street racism reinforce each other. State racism legitimates racism generally.
Racism is wide-spread throughout society, including large sections of the working class. It will not be defeated just by actions of minorities.
We have to take anti-racism into the heart of the labour movement - as well as amongst women's organisations, the lesbian and gay movement, and young people - to unite with Black, Jewish and Irish communities.
Racism and fascism are not just moral questions. They difight School students fight racism vide the working class and make it more difficult to fight for our interests.
The roots of racism run deep. They are not just a response by backward sections of the working class to lack of jobs or houses. But these material conditions undoubtedly fuel racist responses. It is no accident that the fascist BNP has been able to win support in run down areas like the Isle of Dogs and former mining communities in the East Midlands.
The recent TUC march against racism was a welcome development. But as long as the trade union and Labour Party leaders refuse to fight to defend jobs and wages, and fail to mount campaigns against unemployment and homelessness, they help to sustain an environment in which people turn to the fascists because they appear to offer the only radical solutions. racism Leaflets issued by the Labour Party in Millwall - despite the good campaign reported elsewhere in this issue - show a real failure to understand the nature of fascism. They claim 'Business' will not support the BNP. This may be true at present but not always so. In Italy and Germany big business was the main backer of Mussolini and Hitler.
The working class must mobilise to drive the fascists off the streets. But that can only be done by fighting for solutions that meet the real needs of working people.
Denunciations of the evils of racism and fascism - however well-intentioned - are not enough. Efforts to unite the antiracist struggle must be stepped up.
A useful first step would be a • united campaign to defeat BNP leader John Tyndall in the Dagenham by-election on June 9.