Phil at the Convoy send off in Cheetham Hill

Why the Phil Kaiserman Column?

After a Jewish childhood in Manchester's Cheetham Hill between the wars, Phil Kaiserman went on to join the Young Communist League and raised money for the Spanish Republican cause during the Civil War. When the 2nd World War broke out Phil found himself posted to India with the RAF, and later to Vietnam, where he saw at first-hand "man's inhumanity to man," and the political compromises made by the Allies in the dawning days of the Cold War. Returning to England, he worked in barbers' shops, his own newspaper shop, and lastly in a paper mill, where his trade union activities were an important part of his life. Retirement didn't slow him down. Campaigning for the miners during the strike of 1984-5, and against the Poll Tax, he helped set up the Bury Pensioners' Association.

The Viva Palestina convoy is proud to stand in the tradition of international solidarity expressed by Phil's life.
Read Phil's memoirs here.

"So Spain and aid to the people of Spain took centre stage in the activities of the Cheetham Branch of the Young Communist League. The true figure of volunteers from the area of Greater Manchester is not known as some made their own way to Spain without any help from the organisation that was set up to get the volunteers to Spain in an organised manner. But it is known that around 130 went from the area of whom 35 were killed."

Linda Claire, Phil Kaiserman's daughter, speaks on Palestine Solidarity in Saffron, Cheetham Hill.
Monday 26th January

Linda Claire on Palestine Solidarity
Part 2 - Manchester Monday 26th January