Lewisham police attacks

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A flash in the pan? Police defend a Lewisham 21 demonstration from Union conference decisions taken only this summer are alrea heing rinned to confetti by desperate union officials determir Police last week stepped up their harrassment of South London's black community with the arrest of the wife and three children of David Foster, Chairman of the Lewisham 21 Defence Committee.

The arrests took place early on the morning of Saturday 17 September. David Foster had left his home in New Cross at 6.30 to go to work. Ten minutes later a policeman arrived at the house.

He told Mrs Foster he had come to check whether her son Chris, one of the Lewisham 21 was at home. (Under the bail conditions, the defendants have to be indoors from 9pm to 7am every day).

Mrs Foster checked her son's room and confirmed that Chris was in bed.

RADIOED

Mrs Foster alleges that the policeman radioed the station and was told by an Inspector to "nick" the boy anyway. A moment later the inspector said that he would come down and do the job himself.

Five minutes later the Inspector and three other policemen arrived. According to Mrs Foster the inspector assaulted her and her 15 year old daughter, Dawn, as the other policemen looked on, amazed.

attack by National Front fascists last July.

Union conference decisions taken o: being ripped to confetti by desperate to stem the tide of pay struggles.

As the storm mounts within the AUEW against Scanlon's action in molmg ne Nvaona comerenco ATatinual Manfronar policy and casting the AUEW's 1.2 million votes to tip the scales in javour of the 12-month rule, the 37 man TGWU Executive met last week and voted to throw overboard the union's explicit rejection of the rule at July's Biennial Delegate Conference.

Meanwhile in the NUM the right wing leadership is also embarked upon a course of all-out defiance of conference policy-discarding the decision for a £135 claim to be lodged for November, and adopting instead the defeated call for productivity deals.

The struggle to break Healey's 10% limit and win big claims linked to cost of living clauses to regain and defend living standards is thus inseparable from the issue of union democracy and the struggle for new leadership in the trade unions.

For this reason we urge full support for the Conference on .The Wages Offensive and the Fight ior the Sliding Scale of Wages" called for Sunday 23 October by the Campaign for Democracy in the Labour Movement at Digbeth Hall, Birmingham.

More information about the conference and credentials (50p)

. he obtained from the Conferenie Secretary. Kevin Lee, 44, Mrs Foster and her daughter, still in her nightclothes, were then arrested and taken to Deptford police station where they were held for three hours before being charged with assault.

They were then left to walk home although Dawn Foster was still in her nightclothes.

Meanwhile, 16 year old Chris and his brother Karl had themselves been arrested when the police paid a second visit to the house.

Chris was charged with breaking bail conditions and the police asked for him to be kept in custody. The magistrate, however, was not prepared to agree and gave him bail of £50.

The Fosters have now taken out two summonses against the police, one alleging assault and the other, assault and grievous bodily harm.

But if this police harrassment is to be halted, the immediate need is to fight for the mobilisation of the labour movement in South East London.

The Lewisham 21 Defence Committee must urgently proceed to approach Labour Party and Trade Union branches and other labour movement bodies to elect delegates to a Labour Movement Enquiry into the events surrounding the arrest and subsequent treatment of the Lewisham 21 and the assault and arrest of members of Mr Foster's family.

Fi summer are alread! officials determiner