Campaign Grows Against Police Harassment Uadacqmcnt

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Lawyers working on the defence of the 18 Islington youths facing high court trial on charges of conspiracy to rob are convinced that the case will become one of national if not international lame as a major confrontation by the police on the black community.

It has the full force of the police's rabid search for revenge ifter their routing at the Notting Hill Carnival.

It is now clearly national policy for the Communist Party to provide 'fraternal' platforms for Tory Party speakers on issues where - it is said - there can be 'unity' on common policies.

The latest in a growing series of such meetings took place (in Church Hall) in Golders Green last week. The subject was 'Racialism, how to fight it' and, under a Stalinist chairman, the time was equally divided between speakers from the Communist, Labour Liberal and Conservative Parties. The CP speaker, Vishnu Sharma - an Executive member and the 'hardened workhorse of the CP's •Popular Front antics in all manner lof fraudulent 'fronts' against racialism - seemed unable to disguise his embarrassment completely.

And indeed, in their search for a Tory with anti-racialist credentials the Stalinists of Golders Green had been only partly successful.

The specimen they had invited, a Mr. Pritchard, spoke glowingly of the need to take pride in one's own Parent's evidence of the intimidation and brutality by means of which 'statements' were forced from the youths in the police stations will be crucial to the defence, as it was in the Leeds Bonfire Night Trial, a very similar atforms The Defence Committee is rapidly gaining support. It has been successful in pressing for bail for several more of the youth, in helping several families to change their solicitors and in demanding that the solicitors work in coordination over the defence. racial and cultural heritage, whatever it might be , and went on to deplore the 'negative side of racialism' (presumably he chooses other platforms to enthuse about the positive side").

The answer to racial violence, he said, was 'a strong moral tradition' None of this prevented Sharma from delivering warm praise for the 'splendid composite resolution' on racialism passed at the last Tory Conference, adding only that it was a great shame that the 'grass-roots level' of the party did not always live up to its principles.

The only ghost of a principle in this obscene gathering came from a delegated speaker from Barnet Trades Council, who had been mandated to say that the Council opposed the formation of joint platforms with Tories.

Such platforms will, however, multiply. They are the expression in practice of the Popular Front policies spelled out in the new draft of the CP's 'British Road to Socialism': for a broad democratic alliance' which will be 'an association of class forces' , including 'parts of the capitalist class? signing"

There are reports of drunkenness among the police and it is claimed one was drinking vodka as he administered blows. It is clear that police rely heavily on informers and one of the youths was arrested as a consequence of refusing to act as an informer.

PARENTS

Many of the parents have themselves been harassed. The arrests were made by six unidentified police who broke into the houses, turned them over, pushed aside the parents and took off the youths.

The Defence Committee is calling on the local labour movement to join with it in carrying out a workers enquiry into the actions of the police, especially the two leading officers, Inspector Millman and Sgt. Gallagher, and also the racism of the local magistrates IMPLICATIONS They want to publicise the imp implications of the case not only for black youth but for the working class as a whole.

But they also want to turn the tables not only on the police but on the complicity of the Labour Because of the rate of unemployment one local employer is able to offer only £23 for a 40 hour week. Government-sponsored job creation schemes and 'community industry' are un-unionised and pay £16 and £24 respectively.

HOUSING

Bad housing conditions and family strain cause homelessness and many of the unemployed do not register because of the way they are treated in the dole.

The Defence Committee is calling for an increase in the direct labour force and a programme of public works at proper union rates.

This demand, together with the call for a workers' enquiry into police behaviour must be supported by the entire local labour movement.

*Home Secretary Rees must end police brutality and harassment -for a local lahour movement enquiry into the actions of the *No çuts - expansion of youth provision and housing and improvement of schools to meet youth's needs!

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*3s LP'S piatr fear Taki