Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 36, Number 4. 21st March 1973
Majority Against Disruption?
Majority Against Disruption?
Dear Roger & Peter,
I write to you on behalf of the Marxist Labour Group in connection with the article "Sectarian Sabotage" and the" editorial published in Salient on 7th March 1973.
You refer to the small number of persons who make up the aggregate national membership of The Socialist Action League and the Marxist Labour Group. You are, no doubt, approximately correct in estimating this at about 50. Is it, however particularly meaningful to contrast this number to the figure of 250 who recently attended a Wellington Hart meeting?
I suggest that there are other indicators which throw a different light on matters. At last year's National Anti-Apartheid Conference, the motion to oppose the Hart-Care non-violent disruption tactic was lost 126-73 (these figures are from memory and may be slightly out. Of the 73 who voted for the motion, 3 were M.L.G. members and, I estimate, 12 were S.A.L. members. On this basis, among activists, on the tour tactic question there would be 4 persons outside of the combined ranks of SAL—MLG, who agree with their policy for each one inside.
How do matters stand outside the activists on the suitability of the tactic?
A survey by a Teaching Fellow at Canterbury University Mr A.D. Paine, showed that 70% of those who opposed the tour were not in favour of the disruption tactic.
If this survey is valid, then it would seem that among the people who already oppose the tour and are hence disposed to some extent to follow the lead of anti-Tour organisations the tactic which Hart-Care proposes is unattractive.
M.L.G., as you say, does not wish to create an organisation which will run counter to the many excellent educational activities of Hart and Care, but seeks to open an organisational avenue for those who rightly or wrongly do not agree with the Hart-Care tactical approach re non-violent disruption. Seemingly, there would be many who are potential supporters. We hope to create a united-front organisation to reach them.
Yours fraternally
Hector MacNeill