The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-02-11

Although on August LIST the demonstrations
in many cases were on the old pattern, that
day and the whole of the summer Of 1929 gave
numerous examples of quite new and differ
ent form of demonstration, important indica-
tons of growing proletarian militancy. By
learning from these concrete examples of char
acteristic episodes of the class struggle today
by generating, organizing and giving con-
seriousness to the forms of struggle which
arose in their course, according to Lenins adj
vice, shall approach correctly the question
of proetarian defense.
Demonstrations nowadays must be freed
from all the old organizational traditions must
keep in mind all possible provocations by the
police and by fascists. This requires very
careful preparation and the working out in
good time of concrete plans for every single
demonstration. These plans must keep in
view possible measures of police repression
and take counter measures accordingly. The
chief thing in organizing demonstrations is to
assure firm and unbroken leadership of the
demonstrating masses by the Party A lead
ership must be created for every demonstra-
ton. This leadership, the demonstration "gen-
eral staff" must be equipped with all the ne
cessary means of following the course of the
demonstration and of reacting as quickly as
possible to events. In no case should the
militant workers on the streets be left without
the leadership of the Party. Even on August
First cases occurred where speakers as we'll
as slogans were not on the spot which, during
the course of the demonstration, became CEN
tiers of mass resistance. 1t happened that
the speaker waited alone at the appointed
meeting place for the arrival of the demon.
strators, while these, left to themselves fought
the police in the streets. With even little pre-
paration, the existence of a demonstration
leadership which was aware of the enemy's
CONFERENCE.-The and was in contact with the
marchers would have made such grave mis-
takes impossible.
What measures are necessary to mislead
the police, what is to be done in case of I'M
provoked attack, how far the organization of
mass resistance should go, whether the dem
onstration should dispense and re-assemble at
another place, whether special divisions should
be allocated to protecting the main body, to
hold up the police until the main holy is secure,
how the demonstration leadership should main
tain contact with the different columns of
demonstrators, how to organize and conduct
the "shock troops" for calling the masses on
to the streets and into the demonstration,
what steps should be taken to protect speakers,
local headquarters and papers-we shall not
enter more closely into these and similar ques-
tions of the practical organization of demon
STATIONS now. If we make correct Judgment,
concrete and thorough, of the situation, the
forces and possibilities of the enemy, the feel
ing of the workers, it will not be difficult to
find correct answer in every case. The chief
thing, which cannot be too strongly emphasized
is that this work must be handled in prac-
teal and concrete fashion. Then everything
else will fall into line.
Demonstrations must throw off their festival
appearance and become means whereby to
mobilize the activity of the masses. This
means the organization of demonstrations
straight from the factory, with or without
strike, marching from one factory to another,
calling upon the workers to join the demon
stration. These demonstrations should not
make fol the traditional meeting place, but
for such places as government buildings,