mile from New Cross. black communities in this country. happening.
For this is the response, individuals, but of a whole community, a community that feels itself under attack, a community driven to exasperation by years of oppression Similarly, when the cops get out the riot shields or charge their horses into the crowd at full gallop, then this is the response of police trying to crush, not a few 'extremists, but mass resistance and opposition - exactly the same as the British Army trying to put down the Catholic communities in Northern Ireland.
What an incredible sight the police made at Lewisham! For years, every bourgeois and labour politician has been telling black people there is a law making race hate illegal. Trust in law and order, they said. Yer, here in Lewisham, were the very instruments of law and order, merrily escorting a band of racist thugs, crying "wogs out', 'niggers go home and worse, into the heart of a black area, battoningasideallopposition!
Is the response so surprising? Time and again in recent years the NF have been allowed to march or meet in the black areas. Time and again the police have defended their "democratic right' to shout their filthy insults and mouth barbaric demands for the deportation of millions of people for no reason other than the colour of their skin. There are limits to what black people can bear.
MESSAGE Thats the message that comes out of Lewisham and Ladywood. Black peopleare saying they're tired of these fascist marches, tired of the police frame-ups as with the Lewisham 21, tired of discrimination in jobs. schools and homes. Theyre saying. Were tired of taking the shit for the problems of this society. Get the bell off our backs!
The prew campaign against extremists" serves to cover up these, 12.00am: The main demonstration heads off only to be told to disperse by the police, and the march leaders, a Many people have been led to think that the violence in Lewisham and in Birmingham was 'the work of extremists'. This is not true. What happened in both cases was more significant than that, something no left-wing group in Britain could organise: a justified explosion of anger and frustration by the To the anti-fascists who gathered at New Cross to stop the NF marching in a black area, to those who assembled at Ladywood to stop the NF holding a meeting in a black area, the police tactics were familiar. The police have attacked us with horses and snatch squads before. Generally, the cops have been met with linked arms, maybe a few fists, even the odd missile. But when thousands of people meet the cops with bricks, bottles, paving stones - in short with anything and everything that comes to hand - and when thousands lay siege to police stations, then it must be obvious that something quite different is not of the realissues. All the screams about left wing extremism, all the drooling about democracy, serves one purpose: to cover up the real culprits.
Like the culprits in the police. In taking the Front into the black areas, and in being willing and prepared in advanceto Lislerie the district, EnC Commander of the Metropolitan Police must be cuner a complete incompetentor else sympathetic to the National PrOt blockhead, a risk to the public and to his own men, or he shares the racial prejudices to which the virulent expression, What other conclusion will people draw?
It must also be added here that if MeNce doesnt keep his men off the Streets of Notting Hill this weekend, if he doesol withdraw and let the blacks look after their own organisation and discipline, then either he is completely blind or deliberately out то provoke a пог.
Or take the culprits in the Labour Goverament. For years now, these cconomic policies have created the conditions for the current wave of racialism. While denouncing the lett as 'enemies of democracy, it is they who have made, in fact, vicious attacks on the democratic rights of black people — splitting up families al the immigration points countenancing knock of the deportion Merlyn Rees is the democracic rights.
The themes of the capitalist press have been echoed by Morning Star, Tribune, and Labour Weekly. These papers have attacked the clement', and tell black people to trust in peace, persuasion and the law to sort out their problems.
What a disgusting spectacle! These people imagine that the rest of the 'left world is just like them. When you are threatened with disaster, with phyfascist march. the reformists, demons! truly. BETE peace law and order police.
Either ne 1s Yet these reformists are pathetic. give tragedy. A step pieces SELF-CONFIDENCE found the most the midnight hope for the future.
officer. real threat to "violent ban Manchester.
deny that 1.30pm: Over 3,000 activists defied the police ban, and occupied New Cross, determined to stop the sical violence, with deportation, with police frame-up, you should steadfastly refuse to be provoked, turn the nents' ideas other cheek, and write wordy petitions to prove you're a good democrat.
And when people are forced by harsh reality to reject in practice the line of cops is the these bureaucrats resort to the explanation that every thing's the fault of a few ultra-left Bur passive bleating never won victories. It never stopped racism or fascism. We say to the reformists: if BANS you are genuinely concerned abour attacks on black peoples, then do us a favour: join us on the anti-fascist picket line. If you had mobilised your forces, in their many thousands, to stop the Front, then there would violence in Lewisham. There would have been in South London and in Birmingham. It is only your chicken heartedness, your blind faith in the of the bourgeoisie, that ensured the anti-fascists and blacks would be attacked by the doubly chester!
Tribune and the Morning Star mourn what happened in Lewi sham. To them it was all a great back. For these peopie, the task is now to 'pick up the in Britain.
Judging by the buckets of tears, some enormous defeat must have taken place. But where is this defeat?
The demoralised anti-fascists? The thousands of black people cowering in a new wave of fear? They can't be — because they don't exist.
Far from discouraging the black community, the events of last week did the exact opposite. The victims of racialism discovered a new self-confidence, a new unity in struggle, one that no amount of petitions can give New links in struggle herween black and white were forged which are a The events of last week also made it clear to the police and the NF that they had better stay out of the black areas. It will not be so easy to Birmingham. intimidate black people in future.
The mobilisation in Lewisham was a defeat for the NF — 10 the fury of the cops. Even now, there is talk of a on the next NF march in There has even heen a change in the assumptions of the capitalist press.
Increasingly fewer people now try lo the NF are TAISLISES Defected! Thousands of people don't throw bricks just because of their oppoThe press campaign may serve to cover up for the police, However, the political and physical defeat of the subject of profound in the of the bourgeoisie. That's why there is now a lotoftalk about bans. Theydon't want arepeat of Lewishamor Ladywood.
Let'sheclearabourbans. Ifahanis made against the next NF march, and it is a big it, it will be the product of the struggle of the anti-fascists and blacks at Lewisham and Ladywood. But the main point is this. Who is going to enforcethe ban? The police? What a joke! So what happens when the NF march illegally, or lind some way of invalidating the ban? Are the police going to do battle with the NE? And if a ban stops one march how long will it be kept up? No — we must keep up the mass mobilisation All out on October 8th in Man Nor will a ban on fascist marches stop their physical assaults on black people, their homes. social centres. The only real guaranlee is black self-defence. Recent experience shows that cannot rely on the law and the police Naturally, the bourgeoisie will manocuver to defeat these big steps forward in the anti-racist, anti-fascist struggle. Some sections of bourgeois Such 3s Whitelaw and Griffiths want to go on a big campaign of repression against the left — creating new penalties such as term of two years imprisonment for assaulting a police officer on duty. Others want to use the viccasion to hit the left as well as the right by giving new powers to the police to ban rallies, a move which will undoubtedly be used by police against the left. Coupled with these potential threats to the whole labour movement there is of course the disturbing militarisation of the police already seen last week in London and But nesther the labour movement not the black communities must be deterred by these new developments. Lewisham and Ladywood, the self defence at the Grunwick picket line -all these experiences vindicate the message we heard chanted on the streets of Lewisham and Ladywood: The Workers UNITED will never be 2.30pm: The police attack the occupation to clear a wi the fascists, only to be repelled Behind the The use of riot shields on th for many. But as ANN BO parcel of police and Gover control of the working ch a tact, their surpaden t tagone people to he sight o rat shihis eu he screets, beco Lewishani, Kal well-orchestrate -is ibe bear cradiason af ab pelical, force of the workin li started when they refused t bun the fascist march an ateunds that, firstly, the polic sere riot a pollial forte and court not tibe such decisions. an -hat i would be treach o 'democracy, for the Labout Cov benpens to cake such sation.
However, Their Stentions ho been clearly worked out in a vanot,and tacir lacies antole and classic. They inpend le demonstrate that be pes and only the police hase ile le to contral tou shit? Any nee Hon to ine con tary by tab den straters had to be stashed. A so: the pols ecavalry charge whic craued wasinor primarily sited be sacres being allawed lourc - 1 was as much so muel! al alisons that the left controll The streets.
Once hwing provoked th head it was on easy must sup 1 brock par the Pete-sole strela and itse them with bagn an adrien to bee withod bosever, the police ale alone «bemselves adept an the ruck methad al political conrin: Tew hours previous to the demon Station. the Rightto Wark cent Sos raided - aboaring the poli nice to informarion sabalta indelations of Die had so appose The belasieur the chowd was otisersed by hel copters which, as demonsteal + Creami and the US nose Fos fosheircost, antughly estimme cenuralisings infession p •ased trihe police cousrer quac The police used rict which again to Burmingham two da allerwares, und will no doubt so again emative linking of Castep of the shieldain Bellain to che use of thi la: Nonhern helabd burgeons press is to be copec fris simple for hero orate ch tetrorist? i Treland with she si called "buzgey af the leti? Britan But sorintshe sha make a difieren oquorinn For mape years nose the Bit onel Goverment hae oc-operated, bran
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H/AGAINST RACISM AND FASTISM