Police Attack
Socialist Press1976 1976-03-24Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 12 →
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The publication last week of The Battle for Trotskyism, the first of our series of books and pamphlets scheduled for publication, is a big step forward for the WSL. And alongside this development we have had a strong response to our special appeal for £500 in a special Publications Fund to be collected by Mayday.
Since we last went to press we have received: Islington £27; London(South) £11; Liverpool £10; Oxford (BLMC Assembly) £17 Oxford ( BLMC Body) £ 13.85; Oxford (General) £14.50; London (Central) £20; Birmingham £5; Coventry £5; Leamington £1; Nuneaton £2; S. Yorkshire £6; Portsmouth reader £1.80; London Total received since last edition: £143.15. Total so far: £232.15.
Please send all donations to: WS Publications Fund, 31, We reprint below extracts from the Socialist Worker account of the police attack on the Right to Work March.
"The marchers, having arranged to meet building workers at the huge Staples Corner flyover site, arrived at about 2.30 pm, walking up a ramp to the site.
After talking to the workers Detail of the police attack (Photo: Socialist Worker).
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Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR.
Don't forget to order your copy of address! for 15 minutes they came back down the ramp and turned into the Edgware Road, heading south.
The police were in confusion. Some were calling the marchers forward, others telling them to stop.
(....)Suddenly, Frank Jones, who was carrying one side of the lead banner, felt a tremendous blow to his head.
"My glasses fell to the ground' he said. 'They were smashed'.
(.....) The march reassembled. Campaign Secretary John Deason took the loud hailer and said: 'Let's hope the police can be more disciplined'.
(....) Attack No. 2. Suddenly police - their helmets off -charged out of a coach parked across the street, just outside the West Hendon police station.
They rushed straight at the march. There was another violent fight. Five people were arrested.
Again, the march reassembled and moved off. It went over the North Circular Road.
(......) The police bus whizzed past the marchers and parked sideways across the road outside the Smiths Industries factory. Then came Attack No. 3.
The police lined up on both sides of the march. An inspector shouted: 'Get the guy in the middle'.
Two groups of police converged from both sides, clearly aiming for John Deason, who was in the This time they were wielding truncheons without mercy.
42 marchers were arrested -and this by a police force which was said in radio bulletins to be