The 17th to the 21st September was a hectic week for many students as they continue preparing for university. The week-long freshers fair at Leeds University was a hive of activity and not wishing to miss a great opportunity the Leeds comrades of Socialist Appeal and Hands off Venezuela set up some stalls.
The focus of our action was the showing of the documentary ‘The Revolution will not be Televised’ that was to be shown at Leeds University student Union on the 20th. The stall was a huge success with perhaps 15 or more people signing up to Hands Off Venezuela and many more showing interest in the documentary and events in Venezuela and Latin America in general.
Numerous supporters where made, including a number interested in attending Socialist Appeal meetings and developing our support within the area.
The success of our activities could be attributed to many things. Our stall was set to the backdrop of an occupied factory (a bed sheet suspended between ladders painted to resemble a factory). This eye-catching display and the hilarity of the numerous head injuries I myself received as a consequence of it falling over I have no doubt made us stand out.
Despite strong protests comrade Luke Wilson donned a boiler suit in order to play the part of an occupied factory worker, although all this did was attract the affections of a male student on the Israel stall opposite, who mimed ‘call me’ and blew a kiss!
In all seriousness, the success of our stalls can mainly be attributed to the Hands off Venezuela campaign, the strong solidarity workers and youth feel with the Latin American situation, the lack of media attention on these issues, and finally the strength and logic of Marxist ideas where capitalism has failed.
It is my conclusion that we should expect to see interesting things in Yorkshire in the near future and that work with Hands off Venezuela is of vital importance both to the Latin American revolution and the future European revolutions.
