isaac-deutscher-the-prophet-armed-trotsky-1879-1921

TROTSKY IN I 905
preside over so flat and disheartening a scene. But as he could
not afford any serious act of defiance, he could relieve the gloom
of the situation only with humour. And so he turned the last
scene of this spectacle into a witty burlesque of a bold performance.
As the police officer, facing the Executive, began to read
the warrant of arrest, Trotsky sharply interrupted him: 'Please
do not interfere with the speaker. If you wish to take the floor,
you must give your name and I shall ask the meeting whether it
wishes to listen to you.'
The perplexed officer, not knowing whether he was being
mocked at or whether he should expect armed resistance, waited
for the trade-union delegate to end his speech. Then Trotsky
gravely asked the Executive whether he should allow the officer
to make a statement 'for the sake of information'. The officer
read the warrant, and Trotsky proposed that the Executive
should acknowledge it and take up the next item on its agenda.
Another speaker rose.
'Excuse me', the police officer, disconcerted by this unheard
of behaviour, stammered and turned towards Trotsky, as if
for help.
'Please do not interfere', Trotsky sharply rebuked him. 'You
have had the floor; you have made your statement; we have
acknowledged it. Docs the meeting wish to have further dealings
with the policeman?'
'No!'
'Then, please, leave the hall.'
The officer shufficd his feet, muttered a few words and left.
Trotsky called upon the members of the Executive to destroy
all documents and not to reveal their names to the police. From
the hall below rose the clangour of broken revolver-locks--the
delegates were carrying out Trotsky's order.
The police officer re-entered, this time leading a platoon of
soldiers. A member of the Executive rose to address the soldiers:
The Tsar, he said, was at this very moment breaking the promise
of the October Manifesto; and they, the soldiers, were allowing
themselves to be used as his tools against the people. The officer,
afraid of the effect of the words, hurriedly led the soldiers out
into the corridor and shut the door behind them. 'Even through
closed doors', the speaker raised his voice, 'the brotherly call
of the workers will reach the soldiers.'