9th.
This coming Saturday the Conmittgo of 100 hopes to have the biggest direct action anti-nuclear protest yet. In Statoment tho Committee says that it neods 50,000 to 'block and immoblise Ruislip, liiddlesex, United States Air Force Hoadquarters in Britain' and 'Brize Norton, Oxford, Strategic Bomber %aso.! It also plans to hold 'mass civil disobedionee domonstrations in Cardiff, Bristol, Yorkshire and lianchester3'!
This will ropresont tho biggest challonge to state powor in Britain for may decades and as such is bound +. provoke tho authorities to reprossive action, Already, tho police have visitcd the Committee of 100's printors and takon statomonts from the offico and works managers, warning thom that such statemonts could be used in ovidenco. The police also questicned individual mombers of tho Committoze of 100.
On the other hand tho Committee roports a very good rosponse to its appoal pledges to tako part and pledges not to co-oporate with tho police by rofusing to give one's name, paying bail otc. Amngemonts havo boon made fron numerous centres for bus loads of poople to go direct to the demonstrations.
Tho tremendous rosponse to the Comiittce of 100's activitios shows what potontial there is any political tondoncy which has something vigourous, decisive and dynamic to offer in dealing with tno important questions of the day. Wo can, of course, sev many nogative foatures in this phonomenon, tho most cloar of which is that of people turning their backs on political action and especially that through the labour movemont. Howovor, wo mst admit that whilst wo have nothing bettor to offer we cannot complain. We must moreover go through the oxperienco with all these pooplo before we can point out the limitations of this kind of activity offoctivoly.
On the positive side, and wo might add, overwholmingly so, lots of poople are going to learn lots of lessons about tho role of tho stato, Parliamentary democracy ote, Thoy ©29 learn a holl of a lot moro if w ars thore with then
P.J. 2/12/61