IN TOUCH WITH THE ACTION IF YOU ENSURE WE MAKE OUR FUND DRIVE TARGET *Nicked 12 in thar little sortie. Not a bad work-rate.* 5pm. There is a mass sit-down by the railway bridge some 200 yards from the town hall. The police are making continuous arrests, wading in, beating people with truncheons, and lifting them into the vans. A number of young Asian women resolutely refuse to move.
High Street from the town hall, the police are running along indiscriminately batoning those waiting for the NE to arrive.
Park View Road is opposite the park, and a number of Asians and white Paul, one of the anti-fascists, describes what happened to him:
I was in Park View Road, and as the police churged down it we ran into front gardens. The cops dragged me from one front garden.
'Even though I said "I won't struggle" they punched kicked me and then threw me onto the ground. heard an Inspector say "Hold his head huck", and then I felt the boot Then they picked me up, spreadeagled me against lamp-post, and then marched me to u police station.
Was because they didn't charge me. In the confusion my arresting officers couldn't be found. Anyway. I was white. •While I was in the police station I saw an Asian gus brought in clutching his head with blood strewning down his and face. One cop sald to another, "Does he need a doctor??. The other replied, *Another guy was brought in green ufter being unconscious. He was picked up and shaken violently. In a cell next to me 1 heand a cop say to a black guy: "That's typical for someone of though, your colour. Nose of you is bricks""."
lered.
described Killed Blair Peach:
and truncheons allack with truncheons.
croft and left unconscious.
Orchard where he morning skull.
with us.
hall, above a public address system.
"No, of course Asian, speeches.
Steel Pulse's people.
Asians people.
haven't camera team overlooking to the Asians. civilised, only monkeys throw will mind.
In one of the charges by the police, Blair Peach is mur- 6.45pm.
ANt. member Martin Gerald those the attack which About 20 members of the SPG emerged from two blue police vuns carrying riot shields They starled everyone anti-racist demonstrators indiscriminately after thems.
*At the junction of BeechAvenue and Orchurd Avenue, Blair was hit twice on the head with police truncheons 'He was taken into a house in Avenue and from there to New Ealing Hospital, died in the early from a fractured •Most of as were irying to get away from the police. It looked we could as if we could go home, hut u number of police forced us into • side street. Blair Peach was shields. 63 be. TheN Being is des really minutes, arrested.
Immediately opposite the town WHEE Socialist Unity has set up a 200-watt floor window."
It has been in operation for an hour, alternately blaring our West Indian and new wave music, slogans, and A new song comes over, it's called Can You Feel the Force Earlier, before the pollce bad national moved in on the town hall area, Handsworth Revolution had brought a loud chant of 'Southall revolution!' Dell, an Asian who runs a tells the police over the PA: 'You can break up our demonstration, but you can't silence us. This is our music. We are the people of Southall. We'll stand up for our rights."
As the police lines deepen around the town hall, the cops move on even the tiny group of demonstrators who had been allowed to make their protest in front of the meeting place The cops are challenged over the PA to come and explain why it's necessary to move 30 A 15-ycar-old Asian woman takes over the microphone lo say: Are you going to wait until there are six miltion killed us what Hitler did to the Jewish The only reason the police stormed the room above the cafe is that an IT is sharing the window with the loudspeaker TV and film cameras protrude Irom dozens of the windows the town hall Some belong to news teams, others to the police Press photographers flock from street to street, in search of the nearest melee. But the press does not trouble to speak te police aggressively pi to the pavement out of sight of ar SPG swoop. Their assuranc arroganc ELLIOS conteript for the press. Thei simple: they're attacking Asians and no one The People's Rights Centre in Park View Road is Store inside pota Taris Ali Another is Avis, who receives similar treatment. She says:
I was in a room clearly marked "medical room". The police burst in and attacked including people who were badly injured and a doctor who was clearly leoking * was thrown to the floor and trampled on. Once out on the landing I saw people being thrown downstairs, includin one Rasta quy who hud bior streaming down his face.
They punched him aroend the face, pulled his hair. then threw him downstairs. They were particularly violent to the blacks and Asians.
"Once we'd got downstairs police outside forming a wall a couple of feet off the ground with their riot 'People were forced to bend down under them, and as they hard. Only seen of ill were tbe managed to get away.
*We also heard that one gu had been thrown from a secon 7pmt. The NF arrives, Martin car. He is pale. At the door, an NF steward's hands shake as he inspects press passes. Local and journalists confirin that none of the 30 who arrive for the meeting is local. member the Faling Community Relations Council, is refused the meeting. The NF steward tells a chief inspector that Virendra is a 'hostile" The chiel inspector duly turns him away.
A union jack flies over the town hall, the first time anyone can recall seeing it there. The volume of the PA system turned up as speakers let the police and the NF know what they think of them.
Over in Ealing. in a more peaceful part of the Southall constituency, Labour candidate Sydney Bidwell, MP for the area since 1964, is attending a ward meeting Only the Friday before, at a ward mecting organised by the Indian Workers Association, Bidwell was forced to respond to a question by calling on people to mobilise for the lown hall demonstration today Meanwhile, bowever, he arranged to bring forward the Ending ward meeting Tuesday to Monday night...
10pm. The NF leaves the town hall by a side exit. The police on the streets. hundred predominantly young Asian workers are in jai waitine to be charged. Man have sustained injuries from the police truncheons, batons and fists bstruction and insuline obstruction insulting behaviour, and released at Balwinder Singh: *It was a Foolish mistake to fight at 3pm. The fascists were not due to arrive till 7pm. This lack of discipline, however anderstandable, ls inexcuseable. l mukes no political sense.
Tariq Ali: The ANL's lactics and Halwinder's role were exemplary. Those who thought otherwise must now be convinced. The fascist meeting die take place in Southall. This is an unpalatable but sad fact I needn't have done, if some of is had been more disciplined There are times when the brain is more useful than brawn.
Tuesday: The day begins with a picket Southall polloc STELLO organised by National Union of Teachers, to which Blair Peach belonged. I is joined by several hundred Allan and West Indian youth Another 500 attend a pres conference which Journalists come to hear the anger about yesterday's events and what is to happen nex Speakers Vishnu Sharma, president of IWA Southall: Bernard Reagan, secretary of East London association NUT: Balwinder Singhand Paul Holborow of the ANL, and Tarig All, whose descrption of Southall being turned colony and deniand for the release of all the political prisoners brings a rapturous response from the audience.
The call is for an independent inquiry into Monday's police Violence, and a demonstration next Saturday, 28 April, with slogans: Avenge Blair Peach! and Black and White United Against Racism!
The assembly point is the Dominion cur park, The Green, Southall, which is two minutes from Southall BR station. Be there at 2pm.
The last wordsto the leader of the Southall Youth Movement:
•Blair Peach is our brother. Wemourn him like we mourn Gurdip Singh Chagger, Obituary of Blair Peach, p4.
Socialist Challenge 26 April 1979 page 3
THE POLICE presence to protect the National Front