THE FIRST national conference of the Anti Nazi League is Alf Garnett country.
in London's East End.
introduce apartheid in SHERIDAN was there.
The three teenage skin heads sitting nervously in the back of a police car the National newspaper visible in bis pockel - were indeed fucky They had fed into the estate chased by a couple of dazen young Asians in the company or white militants, some Worker or Socialist Challenge But the TAJ STORES centred on AFTER the rampage dasi revelationer socialises are! YOU FUCKING bastards. You're fucking lucky you've been arrested. " The speaker was a white woman in her fifties, whose appearance suggested a resident of The location: Chicksand Estate, just off Brick Lane It was 2pm last Sunday — just a week after the disclosure of the Greater London Council's plans to the area.
the empty milk bottles one with a copy Front's THUGS young thues charging (unusually) SUNLES purely a rampage -undertones, Although incidents market expensebood before.
shop windows.
THE SEC SMASHED serving customers "There's rhete chap front SPITALFIELOS Y knocked joined required hospital only three WHITEGHAPLL Caplintion d la crisis. The leaders of ibe Lahour Parts and the lodes unlon. after solelions that are in the intereds, pot of the warker, hat of the copitalis Socalisi Chailse helieves that the twe yial laska postronsing •To build broad-hised cae case-collaborationive in the libmir morement, Their dould be non-eclusi Ill characler grouping togetber militants Bolding a wide range of polltiel views. To begin in fight for the creacion of a unified and demoratic scenlucioner?
socialise organication alich con, chrough an application if nailed Front incies hegin lo be sernas an shernalive by shonsms of warkers enpaged in smuggles Such an organisation should be have un the soderstanding that.
The strugale for socialisin serks to unite the fight of the workers against the boses with that if ather oppressed lavers of sacely black peuple, gate sirating fur ibeir lilierotion. This only be achievnil hy orcareg new urgan of poserand defeating with all mar recans the power of ihe aspitated state:
of Jean Chairperson Bongalis (or in Spitalfields GEOFFREY prompt arrival of the police Fund plan staves gripped by the Asians while-only and anti-racists would no doubt have united with the skin heads marked lor habitabson To the police, two hundred that the along Brick Lane screaming Kill the mack Dastards wasa matter l coincidence. "There is nothing The that they were organised", the police stater attempled to been a nasty case of vandalism with racial PRIORITY Overtones was more like it.
allack CROE TEET occurrenes during the Sunday With NE paper sellers and speakers in operation noting on this scale had been Tones Two hundred youths, many with skinhead hair styles and wearing NF hadges, wrecking jumping on curs, and assaulting Asians as the mob marched 12 deep along to go on That Abdul Monaf, a grocer, was when -his windows were smashed. He heard one of the thugs shour:
bastards in Then a hall of scopes and bricks came through hi murders Monat was hit on the arm Gourished and back and in the mouth, and unconicious. He nighttall. who treatment.
The police arrested just 17 of the racists, eventually charging The Two aspects of these events rudely contradict the thoughts upposition la Tory the GLC housing management commit- who Tatham has declared tbat the properly Asians, since Gujaratis are aiso part of the community) demanding rba: blocks of fat the SILE surrounding Brick lane - be turned over to their exclusive The resull, a GLC ghetto thugs for Beopali-only and Already nine estates have been carexclusive black The supposed justification:
Asians are seeking accurity From racist attacks, and return to the area when (her they are re-housed elsewhere.
reluctant benevolence - with which the has dress apartheid policy slipped out of sight when Tacham was quotec in the Sunday Times as saying:
9 will give priority to any of white who are who wani transfers from blocks that are predominantly non-white.
The Image fostered by the and sections of the here media is stark enougli: Aslans seeking a gheito fortress from implacably hostle whites image straight propapanda of Powell and the National Front, and one whic very likely stimulated the thugs the rampage on underlines the first absurdity of the GE.C's plan.
Far from being a sanctuar from racist attacks, Spitalfields has probably willessed more than any other part of Britair attacks which include tw in the past tew months. Mini-cab firms lave on journeys barely a hundred yarus after AGREEMENT Tory plan, which received the racit agreement of Labour councilors, could not have been better conceived to Cher socialism will be intinith mure democrnlic than what esist in de not inke up arms against che sicialie sinte The Stalinist modek of •socialism in she 1.SSR and Fastern Earope hase disemolited social-m in the sees in the milliune of workers thronghout the warid, Se an apposed io Them and will offer full support lo all those fishing for secisies democracy The interests of workers and capltalists are in scale. Capitalism has mut wels created a world market, it hos creased well politics, Thes we fight for working can eat, on an interst scale. This units wal in the lodg run be deciase in defeating beth the imperisibirgimes in she Westand he bratslicialerships thes seetain in 1atil America, Africa and Ado In intaie it implies demanding the immedinte willifrewst of Brith snops from Ireland and lettleg the Irish people determine aeir own hotere The Comments Parties in Lurupr an in cris Fura-command nor the pro Moscow wiegs hake any meaningful straing for the merthrow of the copitalist state. Sen resolutinmen socialis pariles are man we more farmaNdethan over the preceding three decades. But such partie- can only be bolt los rejecting sectarisaise ond seeing internat democracy nut ag luxury has as a vilal necesols, This weans the right he aronte Factions and dig a moat between local Asians and whites, Yet if the skinheads fled along Chicksand Street on Sunday afiernoon anticipating welcome, they were in for a nasty shock.
PURSUING It was white by-standers who poulted the pursuing Aslans in the direction of the young and it was middle-azer and elderly wilte women who vociferously expressed their hostility to the thugs waen they had been arrested if vou wanted to be a Nazi, you were born it the wroDe country one woman shouted through the police car window anti-fascism mingling will national chat*I have worked here for 30 years, said a white shopkeeper after the rampage, and find the Bengalis quiet and peaceful people, #HAIDEIS 30 HEPHE themselves and their families." better neighbours. conuneated a altite woman. Some of the white people don't like them. but I thin it would be silly to learn s0 And things would be hetter around when police stop the bellies FURORE The Tory plan has caused a furore in the Asian community Spitalfields, with several meetings called to discus their response. At one niceting last week, attended by a hundred Bengalis, The proposals were unanimously rejected. Dr Mohammed Harris Ali and Nerul Haque were selected as mokespersons to explain the community's position Both are adamant that there desire whatever for exclusively Bengali escales. The Bengali Housing Action Group, which the magazine Ruce Today associated, and which was originally quoted as supporting this idea, has since denied that it expressed this view:
"The GLC is telling the local while people. some of whom.
Neither th e necessary than ever heinre. Condisins Inla
THIS IS not the result of racist wreckage, but the GLC's housing polley. Brady Street Dwellings, now squatted, with a virtually all-white tenanted tower block in the background. C G.M. COOKSON IS like the Jewish people, have been here for years, that we're trying to push them out, says All. "But we want a multi-racial community. We want the mix "They want to disasions in the workine class. Haque explains. worked together and be NURUL HUGUE accepted. Separate housing is not only impracticable, dangerous.
The Asians are under no illusion that segregated housing -or the present concentration Spitalfields, witere estimated 20,000 Asians make up almost half the population presents detence from racist attacks.
Quite the reverse. "Every place is vulnerable to these attacks, says All. It is no solution for everyone to come here. If anything, the Asians are less vulnerable outside, because they are less easy to find What the community tainly wants is physical safely. which is what the GiLC plan ss Needless to say, the council ha: to exploit. done nothing practical to meet the need for that security.
Its "dispersal' policy; the Labour-controlled: Tower Hamlets has not resisted, has consisted of dumping Asian families in ones 300 M06 01 decrepit estates like Blackwell whites at the bottom of the pile respond to racist agitation with persistent harassment.
SLUMS Asians who turn down such tempting offers are informed that LILY have refused re-housing. *If they are placed reasonable number of other Asians, they will not come back to this slum arca, Harris Ali explains.
And that is the crux of the community's position, though views: constitutes a reasonable namvary- For All, it is 15 create families together, Nurul Hoque ПОНЕТ РОССЕНИЙ way 1o achieve a measure of Harris All favours organised self-defence within the Asian community: "Patrols can save La ropomble for attacks, and if necessary physically deal with the situation.
PATROLS The patrols which began in Brick ane a year since ended, throuch lack of but organisation and finance. All considers that the should back them Harassment by racist neighbours, and initiatives by Front - such as snashing local any cer- Dr. HARRIS ALI windows and wrecking furniTure — is a fcature of estates in Spitalfields as well as elseA year ago, a Bengali family which HOYLE SLEELAL DISMELLOTES TO Do De more back in, after door discussions residents over the months, The all-white blocks suggested by Jean Tatham are already a reality in Spicalfields, thanks to the council's discriminatory policies. Asians make up 47 per cent of the population in the area, yet a mere 5 per cent of council tenants; and there are virtually none in tbe post-war While life in Spitnifields offers the Asian their own aliness as the warkplaces. social centres, and family and friendship networks, Harris Ali acknowledges that it is also a circle of oppression.
Housing is a scandal. several lo drainage or baths is a common feature — and not just for those who bave been forced to squat. ago have The community is demanding develops local facilities, and Tower Hamlets council coines the encroachment of the Cily office blocks in the west ol the arca to boost the rates.
SINC SWEATSHOPS
For Bengalis coming to Britain, the option is farming or tailoring main Blany - Asians. be united." All says, "to talk out their problems, We are trying to pet them into political parties and unloas."
Montefore school which mos of the Asian students allend and which hospital facilities closure, there are no Asian teachers.
Asians and WOMEN the Forthe past 12 insecurity bas meant that & is men who do the shopping.
their homes.
The indications are that the furious response to the leaking of the GEC's apartheid plan is causing the so again bee plan Hare now Oppose the GL.C plan and the Brick Lane rampage!
Demonstration called by the Anti Nazi League Saturday, 17 June 11am at the Naz cinema, Brick Lane, E1 mosque exploitation in Spitalfields and in a room, and no council wel With the absence the owned by The workers need to Robert like the local - is facing Tories to backGOAD discovered its racist implica- even futher.
If it is dropped, it will make concentrated no difference ot the black and white ghettos that already exist other areas; and it didn't need exactly SKINHEADS trapped in Chicksand Estate al the Tories to create those.
Labour's Tory policies of attacking working class living standards and its refusal to challenge racist immigration controls provide ammunition enough for the Thatchers of the Tory front bench to stir up the racist rampages.
On Saturday, Enoch Powell дет со со додо пс воліс *The inhabitants the proportion (o blacks) is already high although only half as high as it wil be it 20 years tire - know is meant by "swamped",' he announced Why, he wanted to know had the Tories been silent for two months on their proposals about "controlling strictly any future immigration'.
Among those who have not been silent are the Lahour MH who put their name to the Select the Labour Party ignores policy ebo immierator controls, and the Government allows bans to be imposed on who would actively confront the fascists on the safe from Powell's trivers of DIDEL SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 15 June 1978 page 3
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