Smash the Prevention of Terrorism Act Campaign

TUC Hands off Ireland. Smash the Prevention of Terrorism Act Campaign. Revolutionary Communist Pamphlets No.8. Junius Publications Ltd, March 1981.

Cover of Ireland's Victory Means Britain's Defeat: the Role of the Labour Movement (Revolutionary Communist Pamphlets) Revolutionary Communist Tendency 1980 Junius Publications Ltd 24p.

The Smash the Prevention of Terrorism Act Campaign was a front group created by the Revolutionary Communist Tendency in 1979. It was one of the vehicles for RCP work on Ireland until it was subsumed into the Irish Freedom Movement in February 1982.

Beginnings

The Smash the Prevention of Terrorism Act Campaign was created in late 1979 by the Revolutionary Communist Tendency. According to their own account: 'Towards the end of 1979 we decided to focus our activity in the labour movement on opposition to the PTA. We organised a national demonstration in November and the Smash the PTA Campaign was launched shortly afterwards.'

Collage from The next step from p. 12-13 of Ireland's Victory Means Britain's Defeat: the Role of the Labour Movement (Revolutionary Communist Pamphlets) Revolutionary Communist Tendency 1980 Junius Publications Ltd 24p. The top most image is from the first (November 1979) edition of The next step and shows the important role of Ireland in the development of the RCT/RCP

SPTAC Livingstone Leaflet: 'When is a sympathiser with Irish unity a supporter of British rule? When he condemns the violence of the IRA', October 1981

Activities

Bring the War to Britain

• In March 1980 the SPTAC 'occupied Congress house in protest at the TUC bans on Irish solidarity'

Labour movement conference on Ireland - February 1982

The SPTAC issued leaflets supporting the Bloody Sunday commemoration march called by Sinn Fein on 31 january 1982. The leaflet called on supporters to march o the SPTAC contingent. It claimed that mobiliiising committees had been set up in North, South and East London as well as Coventry, Manchester, Leeds, Canterbury and Portsmouth, reinforcing the evidence that the RCT was mainly concentrated in London, Manchester, Coventry and Leeds.

People

Keith Tompson circa September 1981

Publications

Misc publications

• Smash the Prevention of Terrorism Act! / Revolutionary Communist Tendency. London : Junius Publications, 1979. 7 p.
• Ireland and the British Labour Movement: Support the Irish People: Bring the War to Britain, Smash the Prevention of Terrorism Act Campaign, Published by the Revolutionary Communist Tendency, April 1980.

Revolutionary Communist Papers

• Special issue on Ireland: British imperialism in Ireland and anti-imperialism in Britain, Revolutionary Communist Papers No. 2: 1978, London: Junius Publications.

Revolutionary Communist Pamphlets

• Mary Masters Workers against imperialism : the British labour movement and Ireland. Revolutionary Communist Pamphlets ; no 5 London : Junius, 1979. ISSN 0141-8874 19p
• Mike Freeman Ireland's Victory Means Britain's Defeat: the Role of the Labour Movement (Revolutionary communist pamphlets) Revolutionary Communist Tendency Association June 1980 Junius Publications Ltd 24p.
• TUC Hands off Ireland. Smash the Prevention of Terrorism Act Campaign. Revolutionary Communist Pamphlets No.8. Junius Publications Ltd, March 1981., 1981. Pamphlet. 17 pages.