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A vision of the strong state were washed away in blood last Monday in Southall. Police Federation, the supposed police "trude union', adverts in most national dailies calling for harsher penalties. warnings they are.
erminiscent of Hitler'.
contributed some unhelpful remarks comparing the NF to the IRA.
they feel is due to's conquered peopie.
not everyone has their rights under the Representation of the People Act. At Leicester on Saturday and again in Southall that Act was used not to defend democracy but as a cover to viciously attack the democratie rights of the black communities. And how could Sociallst Unity's entire constituency was occupied?
order-hungry government which is carrying out these attacks. If the Labour government is attacking, it is the labour movement which needs to respond -communities and against the National Front.
the trade unions and working class political orgunisations workers' inquiry, not a state-sponsored "public inquiry'. But we seed not wait for the results of such an inquiry to say that there needs to be an immediate campaign for all charges against anti-fascists arrested at Southall to be dropped and for London police chief McNee to be sacked.
events as Whitelaw has alleged, Socialist Unity played a major part in the demonstration and is standing the only candidate who challenges the right-wing policies of Labour and Tories on racism and law and order. And that goes for every bociulist Unity campaize. ANY doubts that law and order would be an issue in the election One after another those responsible for implementing thut law and order" have been stepping into the shoes of the legislators. Sir Robert Mark, the former Metropolitan police commissioner, echoed by Lord Denning, the Master of the Rolls, compared the in highlighted by the attitude the police take to the real Nazis. The placed And in most instances these appeals have been combined with call for a Tory vote. Last weekend's events were a conscious preparation for a Thatcher government as the dawn of a great new ser of hang 'em and fog 'em. Southall, Leicester, and even Ilington and Wandsworth, were a calculated show of force to raise the political stakes on behalf of the hoped for Tory The Tory leader's post-Southall remarks about the fall might and power of the law' and prospective Home Secretary Whitelaw's rescers for the NF's democratic rights" should be seen as the The Labour leaders are playing it ruther differently. These people who have treated black people so scandalously are nevertheless embarrassed by the defection of Labour appointees such as Mark and also more sensitive to the deep anti-fascist sentiment in the wackingclass, The mobilisation of the Asiun community has mades breakthrough when a Prime Minister is forced to refer to the NF as Labour's left has not gone much beyond that. Southall MP. Syd Bidwell could not even take time off from a ward meeting to attend the demonstration, while Anti Nazi League spokesperson Peter Hain (who was away sewarding for Callaghan on Monday night)
If there is a comparison to be made with Ireland it is with the brutal and colonial manner in which the forces of the British state took ever Southail, treating the local population with the contempt that That comparison is made even more poignant by the signal failure ofthe police to defend Troops Out demonstrators from the far from gentle attentions of Loyalists in Glasgow at the weekend. Clearly, democratie rights protected in the That is the real point at issue — not the question of the NF'slegal candidate exercise his democratic rights to campaign when his* And while we should be aware of the dangers of = law 'n' Thatcher administration, it is still a Labour - with a massive movement in defence of the black The first step is an inquiry into the Southall events organised by And, ulthough we were not the sole 'Instigators' of Monday's and Anwar Hussein Noon. Southall Es completely: shut-down. The shops are shut and even the banks are closed. It is astrike against the decision to let the NF ise Southall Town Hall.
The mood is sense. Pockets of Asians are gathering all along the High Street on either side of the town hall. The only "shop' open is the Socialist Univ headouarters placards are being manufactured at high speed. Their message is simple: No Nazis In Southull.
As the 5U candidate. Tariq Ali, arrives he is besieged by groups of Asians. maing to happen? When? How? What time is the NF arriving?
The questions are in Punjabi and Tania responds, but before he can finish replying to one set arrivals. They seize placards, A 60year-old Sikh wotan arrives. She addresses the youth: "Co into battle todas likelions*, she shouts. 'We will mother', they shout back:
2.30pm, Hundreds of youth are gathered on either side of the High Street with the banner of the Southall Youth Movement the most prominent. Tempers are rising. By 3pm there have been a few minor skirmishes, Balwinder Singh, the local Nazi League leader, shouts through a micropbone: *No provocations, picase. There is a long time ver Tang All stresses the same message. But the impatience of the "young lions' is overpower. ing. They anack abus and clashes with the police follow. Walls are knocked down so that bricks can be used as missiles. It is a big mistake, born aracE and trustation, and a the day evolves everyone will The cossacks cops on horseback with two-foot long white batons - move in and the riot shields are brought out The police beat back hundreds of youth. They disperse in the side streets. They will regroup later, but the damage has been done.
tunity& OVER 5,000 demonstrated in Southall on Sunday against the NF meeting that was to be held the 4.30pm. By now the entire High Street is cleared by the police. Over a square mile of streets is solely occupied by the police and cordoned off.
The four major roads leading to the town hall are blocked by solid ranks of police four lines deep Behind then double rows of police borses spaced 50 yards apart. In all the cur parks, dozens of coachloads of police are held in reserve.
The armed encampment is complete. The forces of law and order have transformed Santa, siah nantly Irish population, into a colony of white imperialist Britain.
In the Dame Representation of the People Act. a community is being brutally repressed. To allow a handful of Nazis to threaten that community, a police state has taken shape in Southall.
Tbe outside the Inappropriately named Safeways supermarket it typical. Six Special Patrol Group vans, it he crowdine stadd squads jump our and rush into the crowd, arresting Asian youth al random Those arrested are pushed, banged and shoved against trees and railings. Others are dragged oft, heads violently twisted, arms wrenched up to necks.
Watching the SPC at the end of one cordon is PC256. Fucking unbelievable," he says with a broad grin on his face.
A mounted cop asks one next to him: Do you think you'll be able to hold her (the horself we go in? No chance. is the reply A plain-clothes cop with a boxer's face leather jacket, and bright red shirt boasts to another in a pin-striped suit: