Campaign defends anti-fascist victims

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The Leicester April 21 Defence Committee movement for support for those arrested opposing the National Front's St George's Day march. price rises, etc.,) after the Tory politicians have paved the way for their release with a political "explanation" • It is not only the Tories who have their problems. The Soviet Union has expelled two West German TV men and lampooned the correspondent of US News and World Report for being drunk while working.

Izvestia published a picture of the reporter-English-borr Robert Knight-being sick after drinking Vodka at an officia reception.

The Telegraph said he had been drugged and the picture had been a set up job.

Since the Soviet bureaucracy is quite capable of drugging drinks and since Western correspondents are quite capable of "drunken brawling, and a hatred towards Russia" it would be foolish to plump for truth on either side.

Maybe Maude might like to take note of the dispute. A couple of crates of vodka for pliable pressmen should iron out any little misunderstandings liable to arise over prices, jobs, etc.

This opened with an intervention into the Leicester May Day celebration.

Since then meetings have been held with local people facing charges, and on May 14 when all those charged appeared before magistrates only one of the remaining 73. pleaded guilty.

His reward was a £660 fine for threatening behaviour and carrying an offensive weapon on a day when the going rate for "non-political' assaults was no more than £150.

Vengeance

This clearly demonstrated the determination of the state to wreak exemplary vengeance on all those prepared to take to the streets on basic class questions.

It also indicated the stand of the Defence Committee that what was involved was a political victimisation campaign designed to intimidate antifascists, which could only be fought by winning labour movement support and fighting a concerted and unified defence against all the charges.

Against the threat of massive fines and even prison sentences, the Defenc Defence Committee has asserted the need for a clear explanation of the role of the police and the thugs of the SPG on April 21-in particular their indiscriminate use of violence against demonstrators.

Witnesses sought

Witnesses are being sought in defence of individuals and evidence is being compiled to expose the totally random way in which anti-fascists were rounded up and picked off by selected officers.

To finance the defence campaign and the court cases in June, collections are being raised in factories and colleges and appeals have gone out to local unions.

The aim is to win broad labour movement support for a serious defence of the rights of those arrested to oppose fascism free from police harrassment.

This means winning support for the policy of no platform for fascists and spelling out the critical importance of the demand for workers' self defence now, before the major Tory attacks on the unions begin.

Evidence

Meanwhile further evidence continues to emerge on the scale of police violence against anti fascists in the Southall riot, in which ANL supporter Blair Peach was murdered by the SPG.

Socialist Worker this week reports the case of one Asian youth who has had to have his testicles removed following a vicious assault by police.' And speaking in Oxford last week Southall IWA leader Vishnu Sharma estimated total arrests on Monday 23 April at 700800-with large numbers of Asian youth as young as 11 years old released without charges onto the streets from police stations miles from home at 2-3 o'clock in the morning.

It is essential that the struggle for a full-scale labour movement enquiry into this brutal police assault on Southall's Asian community is taken up with trade unions and Labour Parties everywhere.

A Leicester Defence Fund has been set up to cover fines and costs of those arrested on April 21. Send donations to: April 21 Defence Fund, Co-op Bank, Hotel St., Leicester.

WAY FORWARD FOR YOUTH A 16-page pamphlet detailing the policies of the Socialist Youth League.

Price 20p plus 10p postage from SYL, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR.

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