'Conspiracy to rob'
Socialist Press1977 1977-03-16Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 5 →
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hitherto that what is lacking is effective national leadership in this fight.
Local reports again show that not only are the Broad Left within NUS not going to provide such leadership, but that they are going out of their way to mislead struggles.
At the LSE, for example, a decision was taken to reoccupy on Tuesday March 8th. The following day a Broad Left motion called off the occupation.
INDEFINITE
At Essex, despite recent setbacks motion calling for indefinite occupation eventually succeededMoreover the policy contents itself with the status quo-namely that students already on courses should not have to leave.
It completely excludes those who have yet to begin courses, and paves the way for a further round of increases bound to come in 1978.
Students must agitate for a rejection of all fee increases, and for an end to the discriminatory practice of charging overseas students much higher fees than home students.
From these basic demands, we must campaign for the abolition of all fees to ensure that anyone tion of all education cuts, and for education expenditure to rise to keep pace with inflation, as the necessary precondition for a real expansion of educational facilities.
The policies must now be taken up and fought for at the NUS conference at the end of the month.
Failure to present a clear programme in opposition to the official NUS position can only mean the continuing domination of NUS by the Broad Left, and therefore the continuing erosion of education.
The trial of the Islington 18 black youth faced with High Court charges of "conspiracy to rob", , is set for April 25th.
Parents and youth involved know they are only the tip of the iceberg. "But if we can get off this time, it will be the start of a fight back, said one youth. "It's a problem for every youth, black and white. They ought to abolish the charges of "conspiracy" and "suspicion"
Many more examples of the malpractices of the police have come to light. On arrest, all the youths were refused permission to phone either solicitors or parents. Insisting "YoL all country."
In all-night sessions youths were slapped and punched, made to stand legs apart and arms outstretched, while they were beaten in the kidneys and groin.
Four months after the event, one youth is suffering from a hard lump on his head from where he was flung against a wall. The mother of this sixteen year old was even tricked to signing his "statement" by being assured that if she did so he would not be charged.
Eventually she signed and the officer laughingly poured scorn on her.
Most of the youths have a history of "crime" for which they have served two years or so probation and which are used against them in bail applications.
"STOLE 3p"
One, at 15, allegedly stole 3F and two sandwiches, and another at the age of 12, was charged with "robbery with violence" for stealing 4p.
The Defence Committee organising a petition and a loca demonstration on Saturday Apri 23rd.
The local Fabian councillors and MPs openly critical of the racis of their old guard colleagues must be challenged to use thei influence to put an end to police brutality in the area.
MP O 'Halloran must be partic. ularly called to task. He is President of the Whittington Youth Chus of which most of the youth were members, yet he has bees beard boasting of having Sapper £25,000 grant to a project for blat youth and has beer orgare 1 racist petition agains "= sping He was doubtless pare to me Jeting which took b'ace so Fatr 1th between Labor Pay tele. gates and the 2ic : 150 "Tising crime"
Does that 2ite= == the police?