Socialist Organiser

The weekly of the fused Workers Socialist League, July 1981 to April 1984

Labour must back the To CARNIVAL Bradford 12

Socialist Organiser no. 50, 27 August 1981 · scan p. 12 · about 1,194 words

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NAZI THREAT

THE ASIAN community in Bradford is rallying behind 12 youths charged with 'conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm' and 'conspiracy to endanger property and life' 800 people at a meeting in the Arcadian Cinema on August 12 angrily called for the dropping of charges.

But last week, in a court room partially empty due to the police's refusal to allow relatives entrance, bail was refused to 1l of the 12. Their solicitors pointed to a recent case where white racist youths were bailed on a charge of conspiracy in connection with the burning of Asian property.

Frame-ups The twelve Asian youths have all been actively involved in campaigns against police harassment and frameups in Bradford, and supporting Anwar Ditta and Jaswinder Kaur against the racist immigration laws.

Now, lovingly referred to in the Bradford press as the 'Bomb 12' , they face possible maximum sentences of life imprisonment. The charges reșt on so-called 'voluntary statements' which the police claim to have taken from them.

All the youths were subjected to constant and prolonged police interrogation after their arrest on July 11. Concerned friends and relatives were not allowed to speak to them or visit them, nor were they allowed to see solicitors until half an hour before their first court appearance on August 1.

Not guilty All of them are pleading 'not guilty to both charges'. The petrol bombs supposed to have been made by them have not been seen by members of the defence campaign WORKERS SOCIALIST LEAGUE Rally and festival to launch the fusion of the Workers' Socialist League and the InternationalCommunist League.

Saturday October 10, from 11am at Digbeth Civic Hall, Birmingham.

For details of transport contact WSL, PO Box 135, London N1 ODD.

RIGHT TO WORK

MARCH TO TORY PARTY CONFERENCE From Liverpool (October 8) to Blackpool (October 16). For sponsorships and details contact Right to Work Campaign, 265a Seven Sisters Road, London N4.

Out now!

BUILDING WORKER no.19 Articles on: new wage democracy, asbestos, Costains, and 'one union for building?' from:

10p plus postage 223B Queens Road, Peckham, London SE 15. and were not found in the houses of any of the defendants.

The Bradford police have consistently failed to take action on serious racist attacks, and now they clearly intend to hide their racism behind a smokescreen of hysteria fuelling the Tory myth that youth discontent is merely the result of the stirrings of a handful of ruthless revolutionaries.

IN THE early hours of Sunday August 23, the top floor of the Textile Hall, Bradford, was gutted by fire.

The top floor was a West Indian social club, and the building also houses the Trades Council, trade union offices, Labour Party meeting rooms, and the July 11 Action Committee.

Police are 'satisfied' that it was an accident.

But fascists threatened to burn it down in a phone call to police on July 10.

Messages to Bradford Trades Council and July 11 Action Committee, c/o Fourth Idea bookshop, 14 Southgate, Bradford 1.

They also want to terrorise the black communities away from any realistic policy of self-defence, at a time when the police are organising nationally to step up their attacks on communities, picket lines, unemployed youth, etc.

Despite the complete failure of the police to link the petrol bombs to the defendants, the press coverage has raised a debate in the Bradford labour movement on the question of self-defence.

It is question HE NA Asian routh on the streets the press hope to use to divide black and white workers in a town where their unity is vital for the health of the labour movement.

Basis Socialist Organiser supporters have argued that self-defence is the very basis of the labour movement: but due to the tailure ot the leadership of the trade unions and Labour Party. the organised power of the movement has not been used to defend black communities, and so we are calling tor labour movement support for community selfdetence.

An into

by Barry T

attacks in the Bradford area has been set up by the July 11 Action Committee to catalogue the incidents and the police record on dealing with them. We are arguing T0I labour movement involvement in that inquiry.

The Militant tendency. numerically strong in the Bradford Labour Party, have ducked both the generai issue of seit-defence and the particular question of the denial of democratic rights to the defendants.

They have attended neither pickets nor meetings, sending only one supporter brietly to the 800-strong Arcadian meeting.

It is particularly import• BR ant that resolutions of support, donations and messages are immediately ssent to the July 11 Action Committee, c/o Fourth Idea bookshop, 14 Southgate, Bradford I.

Also the Action Committee is calling for letters and telegrams of protest to:

* The Director of Public Prosecutions, Sir Thomas Hetherington, 4/12 Queen Anne's Gate, London SWI William Whitelaw, 50 Queen Anne's Gate, SW1.

* The Lord Chancellor, House of Lords, SWI.

* Ronald Gregory, Chief Constable West Yorkshire, Police Headquarters, Wakefield.

This year's Notting Hill carnival is under threat. The anti-fascist magazine Searchlight has recently exposed an international fascist plot to bomb the carnival.

Such threats should be

taken seriously; remember the 14 people who were killed at the Munich Oktobertest by a fascist bomb. -The National Front are also planning to mobilise on Carnival Sunday in an attempt to sabotage the event. According to Front leader Martin Webster they intend to create a situation where Home Secretary Whitelaw is forced to order a total ban on all marches and processions including the two day carnival.

The Front plan to rally in Fulham, 2½ mies from Notting Hill, and then march on the carnival. If their march is banned they will still be able to rally and intend to do so.

The local trades council, which covers both Fulham and Notting Hill, along with the Labour Party and the Anti Nazi League have launched a campaign to oppose the fascists.

At a recent ANL meeting some local community

activists thought that the answer to fascist attempts at disruption was to let them march unopposed.

But an Anti Nazi League speaker argued for a counter demonstration. If the fascists are allowed to march unopposed on the day of the

Carnival their morale will be boosted. It will give them the confidence to take bolder steps and increase their attacks on blacks and the labour movement, and it will swell their ranks with disillusioned white youth.

Obviously there are genuine fears among those who have put time and effort into the carnival that it could be ruined. This could be overcome to a degree by the carnival organisers and the local community taking the question of defence seriously.

For this, community defence groups need to be built in collaboration with the labour movement.

The carnival must be defended, the fascists must be stopped.

Join the counter-demonstration!

Assemble 11.30 am, Fulham Broadway Tube, Sunday 30 August. All London SO supporters should attend. leadership advised her resign before the trial.

But left wingers in the NUT are planning a

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agreement, role of the CP in UCATT, Labour Party

STOP THE NAZIS

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