On January 18 and 26 Southwark police, citing obstruction of the walkway under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, closed tables that League members had set up at the Elephant and Castle subway as they had nearly every Saturday for the last five years. The table displayed the Militant, Perspectiva Mundial, New International and other communist works, along with titles by Nelson Mandela, Fidel Castro, Malcolm X, and Thomas Sankara.

On January 18 the police were accompanied by a London Weekend Television Film crew who filmed the stall closure for the "Crimefighters" program, which showed the activities of officer Chris Daley that day. The film was televised during a late-night spot February 8.

During the broadcast Daley is shown ringing his headquarters and explaining his reason for taking the stall down. "They've got some very, very anti-British posters here," he told his superiors. "I'm closing it down as there's a potential point of conflict I think."

The film showed close-ups of the posters on the stall, including ones that read: "British troops out of Ireland," "Defend Cuba's Socialist Revolution," "Equal Rights for Immigrants," "Israeli Troops Out of the West Bank," and "No to UK-US-UN Colonization of Afghanistan." Another encouraged people to join the Young Socialists.

When Daley closed the stall the second time he reported on his phone that "They've got the same posters about issues in various parts of the world." He also stated in the presence of two witnesses that he did not like our posters.

Communist League members point out they have set up the stall at that location because it is in a workers district and close to the Pathfinder bookshop. The stall has become a regular feature on Saturdays there, and many workers stop by each week to buy the Militant, look at the books, and find out the topic of the Militant Labour Forum. This is the first time the police have closed down the stall as an obstruction, CL members said.

In addition to the literature tables and other activities, the Communist League has stood candidates in the Southwark and Bermondsey constituency in many local, national, and European elections over the last decade.

In a statement issued in response to the closings, the Communist League said the police actions are "a major attack on the right of working people in the Elephant and Castle area to have the opportunity to hear and discuss all points of view. Defending free speech rights is particularly important today, as the rulers' wars and militarization drive are used as an excuse to attack democratic rights and freedom of expression."

Communist League members are building a Militant Labour Forum at the Pathfinder bookshop February 15 entitled, "Defend Workers Rights! Protest the Closure of the Communist League Campaign Stall!"

As well, CL campaigners returned to their usual sales spot the day after the broadcast of the Crimefighters program with the Militant and Perspectiva Mundial, forum leaflets, and campaign statements. A few passersby said they had seen the broadcast. One thought that the police had closed it because of the ideas expressed on the signs and books, not because it was an obstruction or for lack of a trading license. Another person who has a regular stall said the Communist League should be allowed to have its stall there and that the police were wrong to take it down.  
 
Part of broader assault
The police closing of the table takes place in the midst of a wider assault on workers' rights in the United Kingdom. Parliament has approved new "anti-terrorist" legislation that creates offenses relating to inciting and funding terrorism and gives the government powers to detain immigrants without trial.

On January 29 six people accused by authorities of raising funds for militant Muslim groups were arrested after a series of raids. Five young men from Tipton in the West Midlands have been accused of taking up arms for the Taliban.

Two of them, Shafiq Rasul, 24, and Asif Iqbal, 20, were handed over to Washington and taken to the prison camp in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Ruhal Ahmed, 20, is being questioned in the Afghan city of Kandahar. Munir Ali and a fifth man from Tipton are believed to be missing in Afghanistan. The government says all five worshipped at the same mosque in the United Kingdom.

Last week Home Secretary David Blunkett began testing the waters for introducing an English language proficiency exam, and an oath of allegiance for those wanting citizenship.  
 
 
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