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by Jo Thwaites able"), the To That means it would worked out. be much easier to lift Offenders anyone on the streets (or could be co even in a house), at the their parent: , time of a riot, and charge every night them and get a convic-. and on week ANXIOUS not to be caught out unprepared for the summer riots this year, the Tories have spent the winter busily dreaming up new penalties to deal with the troublesome unemployed who are sure to take to the streets again this summer.

The Law Commission has come up with a streamlin ng of the old , laws of riot. unlawful assembly and affray. These laws aren't used very much as it is difficult to get a conviction as the wording is so vague and you can usualty win on a technicality. So obviously judges and the cops want to make them more precise to deal with rioters.

The Commission proposes to get rid of the 'technicalities'. . Under its proposals a riot would consist of 'three or more persons present together in public or private, engaged in an unlawful course of violent conduct'. The ' maximum penalty would be 14 years and an unlimited fine.

That means it would be much easier to lift anyone on the streets (or even in a housel, at the time of a riot, and charge them and get a conviction for riot.

The prosecution would not even have to prove they had a "common purpose" you're there, then you're guilty.

The recommendations of this Commission are likely to become law later this year, when the Tories have worked out what strengthening of the 1936 Public Order Act they want and whether they should have a new Riot Act or not. The Tories are taking chances. no They'll all behind have bars!

Beat yourself ARRy DE NITOffice has said condi- Office has Si tions are "inhuman, tions are appalling and unaccept- appalling and able"), the Tories have a new curfew order new curfev worked out.

Offenders under 20 could be confined to their parents' homes every night from 6pm and on weekends from midday to 6 am the next day. That's more than the curfew was Poland after the military coup.

Yet they have the cheek to go on about 'freedom" in Britain!

The Tories are sneaking these new laws through boosted by the hysteria whipped up by their press over the figures on street crime produced by the Metropolitan Police.

These figures are supposed to show a link between being black and being a "mugger" . They deliberately 'forgot to show that Asians are 50 times more likely to be attacked by a white man, than the other way round; and West Indians are 30 times more likely to be attacked.

And the street crimes for which figures were made available represents only 3% of all serious crime.

The Tories are deliberately whipping up the law and order brigades to push through repressive laws to 'deal with' the riots that are bound to erupt again this summer.

Nothing much has changed about the police any more than anything has changed in British society.

They are still the same handtul of misfits and psychopaths who long only for a chance to beat up kids on the street, scab on their mates and arrest their neighbours.

They come from under every imaginable floorboard. A token one or two are even confused blacks, who try to make a name for themselves by putting on a uniform.

They all share the same principles. They are anti-union, anti-socialist and hostile to young people; they like bosses, helmets, notebooks, truncheons and backhanders. The same principles of law and order that existed twenty years ago.

Ask any police man or woman why they applied for the job and they'll tell you. "To get involved

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