By 10am Friday morning 1,000 people had defied all obstacles to come to the delayed opening rally of Marxism 2005. After a minute’s silence for all those killed in the London bombings and in occupied Iraq and Afghanistan, they heard powerful and moving speeches from veteran socialist Tony Benn, Stop the War Coalition convenor Lindsey German, Respect MP George Galloway and Portuguese Left Bloc MP, Ana Drago.
As more and more people managed to reach central London the full programme of meetings got underway by lunchtime. Packed meetings heard Patrick Bond from South Africa talk on the fight against water privatisation and Alex Callinicos discuss the merits of the new Pope! By late afternoon the doors were closed on anyone else getting into a meeting on Downfall: Why Hitler Lost.
The message was that despite terrible problems caused by the bombings Marxism 2005 was well and truly underway. Everyone who can should come along.
Go to www.marxism2005.net
A staffing crisis in the NHS
Health workers set to strike across four Manchester hospitals
Bus workers rejected an offer and came back out
