Tory Council Backs Fascists

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About five hundred Accrington anti-fascists confronted the thugs of the National Front last Sunday, 1 February. .. A hundred or so NF 'supporters', mostly 'bussed' in and under the protection of the usual abundance of Maggie Thatcher's boot boys', arrogantly paraded through Accrington to a rally in an Accrington College of Further: Education annexe building.

The NF rally was advertised as a public meeting, to promote the candidature of local "Fuhrer" David Riley in a District Council by election to be held shortly.

Seven of . the protesters attempted to enter this "public' meeting, but were prevented by 20 NF thugs and subjected to verbal abuse and threats of The senior police officers insisted, however, that the seven be allowed to enter the meeting, and when faced with the excuse that the hall was full, forced an entry and took one of the protestors with them.

On seeing that there was room for at least a dozen more "members of the public" the senior officer in charge insisted that the seven be allowed in.

The NF stewards and accompanying thugs still refused entry "would not get out again"

The police officers then requested to speak to their leaders.

Riley and NF national chairman Andrew Brons subsequently arrived producing a letter from the Tory-controlled Lancashire County Council to show that the meeting was in fact a 'private' rally.

This fact was later confirmed Peter Evans, who informed the seven anti-fascists that in fact the college building had not been booked under the "Repres entation of the People" Act, which allows for the use of schools (at a reduced cost) for public meetings prior to elections.

The application to rent the college, which had been approved by the Tory controlled council and endorsed by the Tory-dominated College Governors, was for the use of the building as a rally for members, and obviously not for election purposes:

This amounts to Tory sanction of the NF and deliberate withholding of information regarding the true nature of the meeting:

The workers-men, women and Asians-who confronted the NF thugs on the streets of Accrington last Sunday showed the way to fight fascism, despite the legitimacy given by "authority"

The formation of workers and youth into defence squads to protect Asian and coloured communities, and to drive the fascists from the streets, is absolutely vital.

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threatening that if the seven did get into the meeting they