› the backs of black workers. wn self-defence. tee. Worried about the massive oss of Labour votes to the fascists n places like Leicester and Black urn, it has decided to launch a ublicity campaign against the National Front. But at the same ime it also voted to call on the abour movement not to participate a coumter-demonstranons to tne National Front.
But some less elevated figures sensitive to the mood of elations Act can and has been used to stop mobilisacism, and has as its chief aim the integration of the le black community into reliance on the capitalist ee to which they have succeeded in this project can number of immigrant leaders who are on record as attery of laws, and the police and courts who implenot provide an adequate defence for the black population. : call for the repeal of the immigration laws must be which the traditional community leaders have tried to ontaneous militancy and self-organisation of the black Iso be attacked. It is the black youth who have made illings over the last month have not been passed over in nity leaders have told the youth to stop the mobilisaon the police, the Race Relations Board, and the Governtion against the racists. But the youth have responded hat this stand by the youth receives the support of trade unionists and the rank-and-file of the Labour Party. Neil Kinnock MP, for instance, a leading light in the Tribune Group, had a nasty experience last Thursday when a meeting on unemployment. called by Harrow Trades Council was disrupted by nearly 20 National Front members.
The police had to be called, and Kinnock, obviously shaken by the allair told a somewhat astonished audience: We must stand up to the fascists. The rise of racism is aided by social democrats accommodating to their views. If argument fails with these people then violence may be needed. Restrictions of "liberty" have to be put in the balance with the need to stop these people.
Perhaps Kinnock should address his remarks to Tony Benn, chairman of the home policy sub-committee, who voted to restrict the Labour Party to talk devoted to vote-catching rather than action little violence until 1976.
our brothers, Chaggar, died. everything possible is being done.' go so far as to expose them. ttee for the community as a whole. but also nationally. Labour in the white skin n the black is branded"
Marx Photo: CHRIS DAVIES (Report)
Last week's annual report by Sir Robert Mark, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, provided the mass media with another opportunity to publicise the worsening state of 'race relations' in Britain.
This was also the main theme of the memorandum by the Metropolitan Police to the Select Committee on Race Relations and Immigration, which the press sensationalised with provocative headlines like *Violence, the police, and the facts we'd rather not face ....? (Daily Express), or 'New fears over race hate war' (Daily Mirror). The memo was more specific than Mark's report in that it identified West Indian youths as being the main source of group resistance to the police, stating that in twelve months 40 such incidents were recorded.
CHALLENGING When the police say that there is a growing tendency for black youths to 'combine against police... are effecting the arrest of a black person of …... enforcing the law in situations which involve black people, what they mean in effect is that blacks, particularly the youths, are refusing to be passive victims of unwarranted molestation and brutalisation by racist or just generally oppressive police officers. Black youths are becoming more and more aware of their group strength in challenging the strength and authority of the police.
Both Mark and Marshall, the head of the Community Relations Branch, have been at pains to emphasise that the police are not racist in practice in fact Mark claimed that race is of no consideration in nine out of every ten incidents involving black youths and the police. While accepting that not every member of the police is a racist, it is certainly true that the who Ked weekly of the role of the police in capitalist society. The police are the internal, physical arm of the State whose function is to maintain and protect the interests of capital. Any section of society which by its behaviour questions or threatens the status quo will confront the might of the policing arm of the State - except, of course where the forces involved represent the interest of the ruling class.
CONFLICT Anthony Judge, the editor of the Police Federation's journal Police, partly stated this conflict of class interest when he wrote in an article, *The Police and the Coloured Community - a Police View': 'A policeman belongs to a tightly knit and insular occupation. He knows that it is his duty to maintain the rule of laws designed not only to preserve the peace, but to keep society's status quo. Students, hippies, squatters, political activists on the left, drug takers, Hell's Angels, women's libbers and the rest, all represent aims and values which are opposed to, and sometimes constitute a challenge to, the society which a policeman understands and respects.' In this group are to be found young blacks, particularly the unemployed who inevitably find themselves at odds with capitalist society.
In his report, Mark expresses the desire for better relations between the police and the black community Well, the recuitment of blacks into the police force or the creation of police-community relations officers is not the answer. RAIDING The answer partly lies in the police ceasing the only too frequent
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nigration controls. f the campaign. lo have exposed their racialist character. massively for the demonstrations and starting to
ement as the first and necessary step towards e squads.