In the wake of his recent humanitarian visit to Cuba, RICHARD BURGON points to the now urgent need to defend the island’s political sovereignty and its right to self-determination
AS we mourn the loss of Pat Arrowsmith, one of the peace movement’s pre-eminent figures over many decades, we pay tribute to a truly extraordinary woman, a groundbreaker in many political and campaigning spheres, and one of the finest exemplars of the spirit of the post-war world: giving all to build a new society — of peace, justice and freedom.
Pat was best known as one of the organisers of the first Aldermaston March in 1958, the mass protest against nuclear weapons that helped establish CND — the organisation that she supported throughout her life, serving as its vice-president until her death.
Always committed to non-violent direct action as well as more conventional methods of protest, Pat was also part of the Direct Action Committee Against Nuclear War, a precursor to CND, as well as of the Committee of 100 — the civil disobedience movement led by Bertrand Russell in the early 1960s.
As the anti-fascist movement mourns the death of Gerry Gable, his long-time comrade and former Searchlight editor STEVE SILVER reflects on the life of an indispensable activist who spent six decades infiltrating, exposing and undermining fascism
Maggie Bowden was a trailblazing campaigning lawyer at Birnberg and Thompsons, women’s organiser of the Communist Party, and general secretary of Liberation
At 80, Elizabeth Morley wished she could join Palestine Action’s ladder-climbing but found her perfect protest at Defend Our Juries, proving Britain’s elders won’t be silenced despite government crackdowns, writes LINDA PENTZ GUNTER


