Socialist Worker 1994 April 1st 2006

Socialist Worker (1994 April 1st 2006) delayed publication bya day to carry reports from the March 28th pensions strike. There's no mention of 'Red Tuesday', but from the headline 'The Day We Showed Our Power to Win' with the photos linking the British strike with the French protests against the CPE the message is clear. This is the return of working class politics (did SW ever think it had gone away) and solidarity and generally magnificent. Charlie Kimber presents an argument about the way forward, including a TUC national demonstration during the next round of strike action and a foment of grassroots activity.

The coincidence of the French protests on the same day meant a rather good centre-page spread on 'France Revolts' and a history lesson about 1968 from Ian Birchall.

It's all rather lively...

My niggle with this issue is aimed at a letter from Keith Flett, speaking as Convenor of the London socialist Historians Group saying that historians take police figures seriously and as Trafalgar Square holds 30,000 people and was full for several hours and people were coming and going making the estimate of 80,000 credible. He must be worried that the estimates are incredible for such a preposterous fletter! A part of Trafalgar Square was blocked off so it holds 30,000 in theory that figures needs reducing for that particular Saturday. There were a lot of people there, but it wasn't by any means full. 50,000 remains a good optimistic estimate.