YIP! RED RAG. "MONUMENTAL" RED RAG RED RAG (PUBLISHED IN PARIS AS 'LA FEUILLE DE CHOU ROUGE') RED RAG RED RAG MONDAY FEB 22 - SUNDAY MARCH 7. VOLUME 4 No 4 _FREE_ RED RAG CONTACTS: NEWSTIPS 861841 EVENTS - 83275 GOING OUT - 662740 68792 662302 DISTRIBUTION - 666681 666681 COPY - to 31b Milman Road or to Acorn Bookshop - - - NEWS DIGEST ENORMOUS TORY MP HITS OUT AT DIMINUTIVE CND CHAIRMAN Towards the end of January Sir William 'Gargantua' Straubenzee, Tory MP for Wokingham, was quoted in the 'Evening Post' as saying that the siting of Cruise Missiles at Greenham Common would not make Berkshire a target for nuclear attack and that they were a necessary deterrent. In response to this pearl of wisdom, Brian Revell wrote to the 'Post' in his capacity as CND Chairman (using a PO Box no. as his address) the following letter: "Dear Sir, I was interested to read that Sir William van Straubenzee, Tory MP for Wokingham, considers that the siting of cruise missiles in Berkshire will not make us 'a more vulnerable target'. He defies logic. No potential enemy would ignore a base containing 96 missiles which carry death and destruction on a scale far greater than all the bombing in World War II. In the 1980 civil defence exercise (SQUARE LEG) the cruise missile bases and Greenham Common and Molesworth were obliterated by nuclear weapons - it is reasonable to assume that such exercises are intended to be as realistic as possible. The very fact that hardened bunkers are now being built at Greenham Common is another indication that the Ministry of Defence considers an attack likely in the event of war. I contend that Sir William's views are misleading. I am therefore challenging him to a public debate in Reading at a mutually convenient time." On Feb 15 Mr Revell received a letter from the House of Commons which we quote below: "Dear Mr Revell. I have received your letter of 6th February. I notice you do not disclose your actual address. I expect this is very wise. Like one of the Cruise Missiles you are doubtless sited underground. As regards a possible debate - my advice to you is this - start by choosing a man of your own size. Later on you can work your way up to me. Yours Faithfully, Sir William van Straubenzee" PS The relative heights of Sir William and Mr Revell are not known. - - - WHY ISN'T THE WORLD WORKING? This is the title of a day school in the national and international problems of unemployment. It's on March 6th, starts at 10am and will be at Bulmershe College (£2; 50p unwaged; creche available). Its aim is to examine the causes and effects of high unemployment levels in the UK and international economic issues related to employment. It will cover various aspects in detail: from Reading to New Technology, from multinationals to women. Leaflets with more information from Acorn or Lesley Mead, 28 Caversham Road. - - - RAPE CRISIS RELEASE Following two public meetings at Reading Women's Centre, a group of women have now started to work towards establishing a Rape Crisis Centre in the town. Training sessions on rape counselling are to commence shortly, and the search for premises and funding has already begun. As well as counselling women who have been raped or sexually assaulted, the Rape Crisis group also plan to liase with the police to discuss and review methods of rape investigation. After the march from the Women's Centre on Saturday Jan 23rd, protesting at the methods of investigation revealed in the recent BBC 'Police' programme, a letter was delivered to Reading Police Station. The suggestions put forward in this letter were discussed in a meeting between Chief Supt Webb (Reading Police) and John Reddington, Asst Chief Const (Crime) (TVP), and four representatives from the Rape Crisis Centre on Wed 17th Feb. It was felt that the meeting was generally productive, and discussion will continue. The women were told that there were no major difficulties or disagreements with their requests by Mr Reddington. He also stated that he supported the idea of Rape Crisis Centres, and women reporting rape to the police would be told of the existence of the group. If any women would like to be involved in the setting up and/or running of the RCC they should contact the group through: the Women's Centre, the basement, Old Shire Hall, Abbey St. Messages can be left on Tuesdays 10.30 - 3.30 or Saturdays 10.30 - 2.30; and there will be a meeting of the group on Friday 26th February at 7.30, also at the Women's Centre. - - - CARTOGRAPHY Those of you who read the Post front page "revelation" that the Royal Ordnance Factory (Nuclear Death Factory) at Burghfield is to be omitted from the Ordnance Survey map "to protect it from international Terrorism" might be interested to note the large area just north of Newbury which is similarly blank on the 1" map. This in fact contains RAF (=USAF) Welford, an American nuclear (and other) weapons store. This mysteriously re-appears on some larger scale map - whilst is again missing on some of the really large scale map sheets. Some of these are so large that the fiction would result in several totally blank sheets so for these sheets a whole network of fictitious roads, hedges, etc has been created. These stop dead at the edge of the sheets in question, giving some interesting discontinuities between sheets. Red Rag would like to hear from anyone who has noted similar blank areas on the map where they are and what's in them, as we are trying to catch up on the bits of map reading they never taught us at school. An International Terrorist - - - PEACE CAMP NEWS There will be a "non-violent training weekend" at the Women's Peace Camp at Greenham Common on March 6th and 7th. This will be for women (only) who wish to take part in blockading the Air Force gates there on March 21st. If you want to go it's suggested you bring warm clothes, a sleeping bag and a mat. A statement from the women of the camp reads: "Blockading the gates is an illegal action but the real danger of such action is that violence can arise without anyone expecting it to; therefore, it is necessary that everyone taking part should be fully prepared, mentally and physically, to cope with this peacefully by attending the training weekend. If this is not possible please contact the group at the Camp to discuss running a workshop in your own group." The Camp has a support group ("under the auspices of BANC") which arranged visits to Greenham every Monday. Contact Paul Hartley on Twyford 345154 for details. - - - LABOUR TO "RESTORE" LOCAL GOVERNMENT The Labour Party's Local Government Conference was attended by eight councillors and Party Officers from Reading led by councillor Mike Orton. Labour leader Michael Foot told the conference that the next Labour government would act to reverse the House of Lords judgements that have placed the law on the side of local authorities who want to do nothing. Front-bench spokesman Gerald Kaufman stress that local government was in fact declining, as a proportion of the Gross National Product and of public expenditure, and condemned the "lunatic unreality" of Michael Heseltine's continuing attacks on local government. The conference was told by Reading District Party Chairman Graeme St Clair, that Labour would have to remove penalties and surcharges imposed on councillors caught up in the Tory attack. Earlier, Reading's Labour Leader had taken part in one of the conference's working group discussions which concentrated on municipal enterprise, jobs and training with speakers from London and West Midlands describing the enterprise boards established by their councils to help protect and re-build their local economies. He told the group that he was "excited" by the progress made, which was important not just for getting out of the recession, but in the long term too. - - - RED RAG PLATFORM 'Robin the Rich' has asked us to point out that he was not connected with the article signed 'OBW' in the last-but-one issue, as 'Made Marion's letter in reply seemed to understand. Red Rag aims to provide a platform for unorthodox opinions - and articles do not necessarily reflect anyone's opinion other than their author's. - - - A RED RAG COMPETITION!!! Simple answer s simple questionnaire and win a Fabulous Prize! Yes, you can wind your own copy of "Swimming in New China - the Mass Way" - featuring Chairman Mao (not to mention the masses) up to his neck in the Yangtsee! Just complete the following sentence in as many words as possible: "I wouldn't swim in the Thames at Pangbourne because..." The prize goes to the sender of the entry judged by a secret panel of judges to be the most complete. But please note that employees of AWRE Aldermaston or RAF Burghfield are expected to write at least two sides of A4 containing several facts not previously known to the judges to be in with any sort of chance. Send your answers to: RED RAG COMPETITION c/o Acorn Bookshop, 17 Chatham St Reading to arrive not later than March 6th. The judges' decision is arbitrary, final, and probably biased. (If you were such a judge, would YOU let a copy of this book go to someone you didn't like?) - - - ££££££££ SPECIAL ££££££££ EXPENSIVE ££££££££ Before this issue the Rag had about £20 in the bank. So for the next one there will be less than nothing. 270 million pounds would be nice, but if we don't get something pretty soon - well, why not send us something? Cheques can be made out to 'Red Rag' and sent to our treasurer Sue Clarke, 181 Shinfield Road, Reading. - - - EVENTS DIARY SUNDAY 21 FEB: You should all be in church so no info for today. MONDAY 22 FEB: ANARCHIST meeting - ring James on 473205 TUESDAY 23 FEB: Womens Centre, Abbey St, Old Shire Hall - open 10.30 to 3.30. University Gay Soc - meet at 'The Admiral' West St., 8pm. 'Atoms & Light' a talk by Prof. G.W. Series, Palmer Building, Whiteknights, University Campus. WEDNESDAY 24 FEB: Talk by Dr Keith-Lucas (of BBONT) 'How can we help in our garden (or window box)?' Dontknowwhere... S.W.P. Meeting at Red Lion. Talk 'What is the SWP?' by Angie Taylor 8.00pm THURSDAY 25 FEB: Gay Youth Group meeting at: 15 West Hill - to sort arrangements for Southamption Festival. Womens Education Group: Reading Schemes - 8pm 42 Cardigan Rd. Share-a-Child Collective: Women & Children welcome 10am to 3pm Womens Centre FRIDAY 26 FEB: Rape Crisis Meeting: Women's Centre, Old Shire Hall, 7.30pm onwards. SATURDAY 27 FEB: Pagans Against Nukes: All off to Bracknell Woods for general tuning in and meditation - meet 7.30 at 69 Cranbury Rd, Rdg, for general bumming of lists. _7.30_PM_ (pagans aren't up that early!!) Women's Group: 10.30 - 2 at Old Shire Hall, Abbey St. SUNDAY 28 FEB: CND YOUTH meeting at AUEW HALL, Oxford Road 3pm. MONDAY MARCH 1: ANARCHISTSMEET - ring James 473205 ECOLOGY PARTY meeting at: BARLEY MOW, London St, evening. Gay SOC: Film Anger Magic Lantern Cycle - Kenneth Anger Films 1947-74. 7.30 Students Union 85p TUESDAY MARCH 2: WOMEN'S CENTRE, Old Shire Hall. 10.30 to 3.30. PREGNANCY COLLECTIVE, Women's Centre - all women welcome. WEDNESDAY MARCH 3: S.W.P. at RED LION 7.30 pm. THURSDAY MARCH 4: SWIMMING to the tune of 'Shui Tino Keh Taoi' for details see: 'The People's Sports Publishing House, Peking, China) SHARE-A-CHILD COLLECTIVE: see last Thursday for details. FRIDAY MARCH 5: Day of Discussion on Unemployment at Bulmershe College. £2 waged - 50p for people on bikes (unwaged) SATURDAY MARCH 6: B.A.N.C STALL in Broad St, opposite Woolies (morning) lots of goodies for sale + other things (?) DAY SCHOOL: 'Unemployment' at Bulmershe College. 10am. £2 waged 50p unwaged (SEE ARTICLE) WOMEN'S PEACE CAMP: 'Non-violent Action Training Weekend'. Women only - also on Sunday (SEE ARTICLE) SUNDAY MARCH 7 YOUTH CND: AUEW HALL 3.00pm. - - - Anyone interested in forming an anarchist video/news/media group? Contact Mike 83275. - - - GOING OUT MONDAY 22 FEB - SUNDAY MARCH 7 Monday 22 Feb: CINEMA - 'Rebel without a cause' & 'The Wild One'. Dennis Hopper, Natalie Wood, Marlon Brando and James Dean in two classic films of adolescent angst in mid-50's. SOUTH HILL PARK 7.30 (& TUES) THEATRE - Reading Youth Theatre present: 'The Caucasian Chalk Circle' (Brecht) at Progress Theatre from today until 27 Feb. Starts 7.45 & costs £1.50. BUSKING - 'Pookisnackenburger' in the Butts Centre at lunchtime, Worth yer pennies. Tuesday 23 Feb: OPERA - Reading University Opera presents 'The Jacobians' by Dvorak - Great Hall, London Rd,. 7.30. POP - 'Thompson Twins' at University S.U. Band brilliant. Rag week awful. Decide for yourself. Wednesday 24 Feb: CINEMA - 'Out of the Blue' until 27 Feb at SOUTH HULL PARK. 7.30 'Bad Timing' (X) at Palmer Building in University. An apparently stunning film about relationships(?) Also on 25th. Starts 8.00pm MUSIC - Orchestra of St Johns, Smith Sq. at HEXAGON at 7.30 Schubert for £3.00 JAZZ - TUDOR TAVERN Thursday 25 Feb: Reading Symphony Orchestra at Bracknell College - Church Rd. 7.30 pm £2.00 and £1.00 concessions. (Schubert, Haydn etc) Tickets Ian Allan Travel, High St, Bracknell. HEXAGON - Lunchtime Concert: Syd Lawrence & his Orchestra + singers. £3.00 otr a quid off concessions. CAP & GOWN - Mike Chapman, folk guitar hero and ex-Hull Superstar with moped engine voice. Great! 8.00pm £1 (?) Friday 26 Feb: Theatre and Arts Centre, Whitley Wood Land 7.45 - "We must kill Toni" by Ian Stewart Black. Tickets tel: Reading 883315 £1.00 PRINCE OF WALES - Caversham: The angels sorry THE AGENTS.... and its FREE.... Saturday 27 Feb: FLIX at Coffee Lounge in Students Union. All-nighter starts 10.00pm includes Marylin Monroe in 'Some Like it Hot' & 'The Asphalt Jungle', James Dean in 'East of Eden' & maybe Brando in 'On the Waterfront'. HEXAGON - midday Funky Jazz from 'Flex a Muscle'. CHURCH OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY, Oxford Road. Organ Recital by Peter Marr 6.00pm EXHIBITION until 27 March - Drawings & Sculptures by Margaret Hodges at Reading Museum & Art Gallery CARIBBEAN CLUB: "MPR Promotions proudly present a night of untold delight & ecstasy - Live On Stage.... GLORIA CAMPBELL & DAVID JASON, a thriller from Jamaica + Errol J & his Sound. Music by Scott Hifi and King Dick. 7 - 2 am. £3 on door. Sunday 28 Feb: Reading Record Fair - St Lawrence Hall (Buy, Sell & Exchange) Abbey Sq, Kings Road. PS.______: sorry about lack of details for the 'TARGET'. UNION - normal bar extensions, disco, Monday Jazz etc. RAG WEEK beware. BRITANNIA TAP has sound system over w/e. ALSO .... SOUTH HILL PARK EXTRA .... THEATRE: 'Blind Dancers' by Charles Tioller, presented by Reunion Theatre Co at 7.54pm £2.20 till Sat. The solid no sordid charm and desperate passion of post-war jazz age or so it says here! JAZZ - New Orleans style from 'San Jacinto' 8.00 pm £1.80 Monday March One: HEXAGON - 'The Albion Band - contemp(t)orary British Folk. 7.30 £2.50 Tuesday March Two: HEXAGON - 7.30 Phil McIntyre 'Blaster Bates' comedy about job in explosives & demolition (sounds grim don't it?) Wednesday March Three: HEXAGON - 7.30 - OSLO philharmonic Orch. (Svendsen, Sibelius & Berlioz) £3... RFT PALMER BUILDING - 7.30 "True Heart Susie" & "Judith of Bethula" by D.W. Griffiths (1917 & 1913) BERKSHIRE ORGANISTS ASSOC. - recital by Christine Wells at Reading Town Hall 3.10 free... Thursday March Four: RFT PALMER BUILDING - 7.30 + 10.00 "BABYLON" (X) apparently good film highlighting problems of West Indian youth static coercary British Culture. HEXAGON - 7.30 'The Last Shangri-La' lecture on Ladatch - Little Tibet. £1.50+ UNIV. GREAT HALL - piano recital by Nat Yontavarak(?) 8pm tickets at Hickies CAP & GOWN - Gill Burns 8.00pm £ ??? HEXAGON - 7.30 BO DIDDLEY with the DMT's £2.50 upwards.... NOTE: BO DIDDLEY is really on on Friday sorry (typist = idiot) Saturday March Six: HEXAGON - midday, Irish Ballads with Country Mac. At 7.30 "Barnet Kessel Trio" jazz guits £2.00 + GREAT HALL London Road, Univ. site - Concert by RU Singers tickets from Hickies. CHRIST CHURCH READING presents concert of Folk and instrumental music of British Isles in aid of Avenue School for Mentally H'capped. Christchurch Rd. 7.45. Tickets from Hickies. CARIBBEAN CLUB - 10-2am ITAL SURVIVORS £2.00 Sunday March Seven: FLIX art R.U.S.U. coffee lounge 3pm + 7pm Orson Wells double-bill..... "The Third Man" and "Magnificent Ambersons" 60p members 90p others READING CINEMA CLUB - 'The Shout' - A man claims to have acquired the ancient and magical powers of Aussie aboriginals - has an eerie and tragic outcome. 7.45 SHINFIELD THEATRE next to Shire Hall (seem to want new members) HEXAGON 7.30 - Orchestra of St John's, Smith Sq. (Schubert, Ravel etc) £2.50+ - - - ANNOUNCEMENT This production group challenges the other production group and anyone else interested to A MEETING before the next Red Rag will be printed. Ring 666681 for details! - - - "Meaningful action, for revolutionaries, is whatever increases the confidence, the autonomy, the initiative, the participation, the solidarity, the equalitarian tendencies and the self-activity of the masses and whatever assists in their demystification. "Sterile and harmful action is whatever reinforces the passivity of the masses, their apathy, their cynicism, their differentiation through hierarchy, their alienation, their reliance on others to do things for them and degree to which they can therefore be manipulated by others - even by those allegedly acting on their behalf." Solidarity (London) - - - RED RAG platform "The Lost Crusade?" part III From Jan 25 to Feb 6 the nuclear state trained for the ultimate game by launching Polaris missiles from submerged submarines; at a submarine base released radioactive isotopes were discovered; construction work of numerous nuclear power stations went on and new sites for the "peaceful" use of the death energy were chosen by the CEGB. Nevertheless in the last issue from Feb7 a weird (someone who things that aggressiveness is a male prerogative) individual found it necesary to shovel shit on my disapproval of the movement's powerlessness. You dare to accuse me of hypocrisy because I want to foster efficacious activism. It's you who are hypocritical when referring to key-words like "Torness" in the way: look, here we did something!! Indeed, at Torness the "pacifists" always were very constructive. In 1979 the site was occupied and people began to tear down fences. Immediately protesters outside the site chanted "Out, out, out" in objection to the damage being done on the basis that "Fences are people too". At the 1981 Week of Action the "lets have a jolly time, daytrippers out for a laugh" attitude even obstructed any occupation of the site. Instead some direct action was taking place at the camp itself. Skinheads laid into the camp, burnt everything to hand on the camp fires and laid low the marquee. I didn't advocate violence when I contrasted the snowball chucking with the French rocket attack. It was to show up what range of action they're ready to use on the continent whereas we in Britain have restrained ourselves to near immobility. (The "violent" snowball chucker was nearly attacked by furious "pacifists"; the rockets slightly damaged the concrete hull, no casualties.) The rocket attack WAS a greater gesture than a protest march. It was the declaration of war thrown at the nuclear mafia, at a system which has been fighting for years on the side of the economy against the cause of ecology. It was a final set up in the landscape by determined people who are willing to fight back against these power-crazed criminals who destroy nature and life for profit. Nowadays those brave anti-nuke fighters may still be regarded as extremists - by the state and the "vast majority". But this "majority", conditioned for generations, will hardly ever recognize and support our struggle. It is short-sighted to shout "gain the support of the 'Public'" - do you think making the matter an election issue might help? The system must be broken with the same determination and contempt it uses when compelling us to the death energy. "... and if you are going to do something then have respect for the objectives of the people in the movement... no-one wants a few aggressive activists." Your reply is authoritarian as it states again + again that the movement is a "non-violent", non-aggressive, peace and "love loving (?)" one. To you these adjectives are a mere justification for intolerance towards people who believe in a different form of struggle. It's people like you who are "screwing everybody's hopes up" and thereby obstructing any effort to kick back at the system (see Torness). Though I don't believe you'll achieve a nuclear-free state by your means, I don't hinder you from acting as you wish to - whereas you try to drive away anybody else who doesn't submit to you. Think about your attitude that is rather promoting alienation within the movement. Accept the fact that other people want to build up a sustained guerrilla campaign, independent of CND, BANC or any other such movement; a guerrilla campaign in the sense of a series of autonomously organized offences carried out by individual groups, whether these involve controlled sabotage of property, occupation of armament factories, disruption of key communications and transport, leafleting or picketing of workers in the "defence" and nuclear industries, or whatever. Bitterness & anger, OBW - - - $Id: //info.ravenbrook.com/user/ndl/readings-only-newspaper/issue/1982/1982-02-21.txt#2 $