After consulting Black organisations, the Black Defence Commitlee has formed a Black Defence and Aid Fund to raise funds to assist black people and organisations faced with mounting gal bills and fines as police harassment. The Defence and Aid Fund will announce its fund campaign later this month to raise hundreds of pounds from white sympathisers, trade union and political groups who wish to solidarise with the black struggle in this country. Black Defence Committees have been formed outside London, prompted by the recent speaking tour by the London Black Panthers. In Nottingham a Defence and Aid Fund is forming to protect those who fear they will face charges as reprisals feeling that the police are arresting us many drug planting case.
The Black Defence Committee is accumulating a wealth of information on cases of individual and group harassment and is syndicating this to the press and individuals so that the full extent of police activity can become fully known.
Information packages documenting these cases are available.
Recent instances of intimidation include the invasion of a bonfire party in Powis Square, Notting Hill, by 200 police when eight peopic were arrested and the evening wrecked. Race Today, a "neutral" publication of the institute of Race Relations, has recently discussed the question of police activity in Notting Hill. In the December issue is a history of police attempts to close down the Mangrove restaurant, the owner of which, mild-mannered Frank Crichlow, was sentenced to four months" RED CIRCLES/RED MOLE CONTACTS ST. ALBANS/HATFIELD: Chris Pailthorpe, BELFAST: Alan Morris, e/o Red Mole. BIRMINGHAM: Val Graham, 72 Cambridge Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham 14. BRISTOL: Dave Prior, 7 Ravenswood Road, Redland, Bristol 6.
CARDIFF: Susan Lukes, 92 Llandaff Road.
Canton, Cardiff.
COLCHESTER: Ken Browne, Flat 7, Room 10, Bertrand Russell Tower, University of Essex, Colchester, Essex.
COVENTRY: John Presland, 27 Paynes Lane, Coventry, Warwicks.
DERBY: Bruce Bebbington, 41 Leopold Street, Derby, DE1 2HE.
EDINBURGH: Brian Gilmore, 17 Hillside St., Edinburgh.
GLASGOW: lan Stevenson, 3 Doune Gardens, Kelvinbridge, Glasgow.
HERTFORD: Malcolm Harding, B Parker Ave., Bengeo, Herts.
HULL: Malcolm Ball, Students Union, Hull University, Hull.
KIDDERMINSTER: Nigel Brown, 44 The Deansway Kidderminster, Worcs.
KINGSTON-UPON-THAMES: Robin Bonner, Flat 1, 66 Cranes Park, Surbiton, Surrey. LANCASTER: Brian Heron, 29 Clarendon Road, Lancaster.
LEEDS: Ron Thompson, 132 Askeren Chase, Hunslet Grange, Leeds 10.
LEICESTER: Jean Holman, 7 College Street, Leicester.
LINCOLN: Dave Thompson, 65 Tower Cres., Lincoln, LONDON CENTRAL: Frank Hansen, City Polytechnic, Students Union, Moorgate, EC1.
NORTH: John Weal, 182 Pentonville Road, London N.1.
NORTH-WEST: Tony Fry. 101 Park Avenue North, NW10.
SOUTH: Jim Clough, 2 Almeric Road, SW11.
SOUTH: Tony Jones, Furzedown College of Education, Welham Road, SW17.
EALING: Will Rich, B Burlington Gns, W4.
(994 6862 weekends)
HAMMERSMITH: Eddy Arnavoudian 20 Thomy Hedge Rd, Gunnersbury, W4. LOUGHBOROUGH: Ann Black, 4 Russell St, Lougborough.
MANCHESTER: Steve Cohen, 43 Brentingham Road, Whalley Range, Manchester 16. NORWICH: John Harris, c/o lan Douglas, 1 Cow Hill, Norwich.
NOTTINGHAM: Nick Beeton, 25 Henry Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham.
OXFORD: Bemard Reaney, 27 Southmoor Road, Oxford.
POTTERIES: Jason Hill, Students Union, University of Keele, Staffs.
READING: John Brendan Troy, 55 Gloucester Road, Reading, Barks.
imprisonment after an affray charge when police made one of their many raids. The report says: "Since then, the area has not been the same. There is a tension hitherto unknown.
The police, the black community insist, are out to kill the Mangrove and other centres where blacks get together." A short distance from the Mangrove, the Metro, a popular youth club used and arrests made. Another black restaurant, Backayard, comes in for constant police attention and raids, and in St. Lukes Mews, black owners and workers at garages are constantly watched. Race Today comments: "There is a for giving evidence against police in last month's known coloured "militants' as possible, as fast as they can.
Events in Notting Hill and in particular against the Mangrove forced Black people to demonstrate against the police carlier this year.
29 people are still awaiting trial as a result of attacks made by police on that occasion, and subsequently when black people have been picked up in police raids on their homes and workplaces.
with attempted murder when police went to arrest him at his work in respect of an alleged offence in connection with the demonstration.
Charges ranging up to incitement to riot are being used to commit over two dozen people to the Old Bailey.
Elsewhere in London, cases are still pending arising out of police breaking up a dance at the Oval House (ironically, held to raise money to defend previous victims).
Fairshot Court, Sandridge, Nr. St. Albans, Herts. (Tel: St. Albans 51854)
SHEFFIELD: Paul Neville, Ranmoor House, Shore Lane, Sheffield, S10 3AY STAFFORD: Graham Jones, 184a Silkmore Lane, Stafford.
Heslington, York.
MERCHANT NAVY lat seal: Peter Turner, "Oriana" . c/o 182 Pen tonville Road, London N.1.
Arbury Road, Stockingford, Nuneaton. For further info., write to: M.P. Cheshire, 10 Westbury Road, Stockingford, Nuneaton.
EVENTS MONDAYS: Bitiningham Red Circle moets, 7.30 p.m. at the Black Swan, Bromsgrove Street. Digbeth, WEDNESDAYS: Stafford Red Circle, 8 p.m., Dog & artridge, South Walls.
IANUARY 12th: Leicester Red Cirele Meeting, 7.3 College Street, Leicester. Subject: Workers Contro JANUARY 19th: Left Forum, Commercial Hote gate, 7,30 p.m.—"Why Sacialism". possible.
Consequences of Addiction" Medical Association. Fing 01:346 5867 For detai», sed by Socialist campeign against the Tary attack on the N.H.S.. "Your Health in Danger." loafiets availeble from , S.M.A., at Kapitaly and interested in helping with translation of latest and best Germin "Introduction to Basic Marxism" into English- -л German knos ledge neces sary - plesse contact Red Circle, Manchester. China topical magazines, by airmail, + free 1971 art Images, 309. Etc. etc. Full lists, 4d Tel: D193. Wape, 114 Evering Hoad, Loodon N.16.
The Stration in Brisain London In order to show the degree of the individual cases, we instance the following, in November on Sunday 23ed at 2.30 in the morning in Brixton, people in a house there were rudely woken by the sound of a beating being administered in the backyard of the house. Mrs. Watson, a West Indian, living on the top floor, threw open her window to see three white men beating a black man down below. She heard one of them say, "You black bastard, we'll kill you, don't you fucking talk back to a police officer." Meanwhile her husband had taken the natural, obvious, but subsequently disastrous step of calling the police to the disturbance in the belief that they would restore law and order. Mrs. Watson raised a hue and cry from her bedroom window and the victim was able to escape in the confusion. Deprived of their quarry, the assailants turned on the house, battering down the back door, and wenfinto a ground Door bedroom armed with a shovel that they had already used to some effect, and laid about Joshua Francis on his bed. Francis was already in a bad way, suffering from double tudy Kentish has even been charged vision and a broken jaw resuiting from an acci dent at work, and waiting for an operation. Ho got hospital treatment sooner than he expected, however, is such a mess was made of him that after he had bean beaten bloody he was dragged halt naked across the backyard, over broken glass from the smashed door, and, pausing only at Brixton Police Station to charge him with assault, the police took him to Kings Hospital. There, the doctor concerned is said to have asked ironically whether be (Francis) had comNIGHT CLEANERS' CAMPAIGN In the last Mole we reported on the night cleaners all. night picket of Companies House, Old Street, to get reinstatement of 2 shop stewards sacked from Sanctuary Bundings, Westminster, by the Strand Cheening Company. A faw weeks later all the girls at Companies House found themselves without a job-no connection with the picket, of course. Up until Christmas the strand went on refusing toother the women nigh Jeaning work -but hadn' militancy of the Cleaners Action Group who kept op the pressure on the employers by spreading the news of pidits on Sanctuary Buildings and Companies House where some of the evening cleaners who had replaced The sacked women walked out in disgust when they learned what was happening.
It scame that the cleaners" militancy has made the arguments of the T&G, which is officially negotiating on Their befall, more convincing, is the Strand has now agreed to give the sacked worun night-cleaning jobs and, for the first time ever —possibly a tign of anxiety at the growing numbers of cloners who are joining the union gave each of the women it employ a Christmas box of E2. As one of the closnars sid. they can afford it at Christmas, they can afford it WEEN VILES.
The Cleaners Action Group badly noeds money and support for their fight for union recogritian and better conditions. If you can help, contact: May Hobbs, Cisaners Action Group, 13 Middie Lane, London N.8. Tal: 01-348 2815 40 Invernas Road, Landon Socialist Woman Group Southall, Middx. Tel: 01-574 7407.
EDITORIAL BOARD: Tang A, Robin Blackbum Chenhamo Chimelengwende, Peter Goran, Teresa Haytee, Dave Kendall, Marle-Therese Lignugne, Beanka Mayas. Nell Middleton. Inhn Weal DESIGN: Peter Till DISTRIBUTION: Tom Mole 48297 054,0Pm 60% sted Dy Thir Prinkipo Press Lid. /T. 2 Pesosle Road, London M.I. 07-837 09 SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE Please send me THE RED MOLE for the next 6/12 months. I enclose cheque /P.O./cash fo LI/ EZ.
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mitted a murder-his condition was so horrific Meanwhile, scores of police had entered the house and were busy ransacking the premises Francis had to receive stitches in his head, groin and legs. He is not a young man and he now Lives in constant fear. Some days later a Mole reporter and a member of the Black Defence Committee called at the house and were shown two rooms and a passageway, the walls of which were still caked in blood from Mr.
Francis's injuries, together with blood-stained bedding, now in the possession of Mr. Francis's solicitors. The Black Panthers helped to get Francis out of the police station and arranged a solicitor The Black Defence Committee seeks to publicise this and like cases. But in addition to the day by day work of fund raising and publi city, the Black Defence Committee is developing Plans concerning the racial climate in general. It intends to act us a militant group to counter racist and fascist activities. Plans are being worked out to respond to the Tory immigration proposals expected later this month. A campaign will be mounted, in conjunction with other groups opposing restrictions and detailing the ongoing political implications of the legislation.
The Black Defence Committee needs individual and group affiliation. Its address is 101 Park Avenue North, Cricklewood, London N.W.10: Speakers can be arranged for meetings. In addi tion, the Black Defence Committee needs to recere information as well as to disseminate, and reports of police activity, harassment and general discrimination will be of assistance.
Underground Press under attack POLICE ATTEMPT TO SMASH UNDER GROUND PRESS By our Crime Reporter 4,000 copies of OZ magazine, subscription lists and advertising contracts were stolen by police the other woek when a lorry was used in a raid on the offices of OZ. Oztensibly concocting charges under the reactionary "obscenity"
legislation, the police failed to explain why one single copy of OZ was insufficient for this purposs.
Later that moming former OZ editor Richard Neville was hijacked by police and forced to appear before magistrates after a night in captivity, on a carinabis charge. Despite the fact that Neville is deemed bail-worthy to appear at the Old Bailey in the near future on an carlier obscenity rap, the magistrates took their cue from the police and remanded him in custody until after Christmas. He was later released aftor an appea/ to a Judge in Chambers. There is a clear attempt to fix eville with a string of offences before his Old Bailey appearance in order thet he may be presented to the judge as a man of bad character, In theory (though no doubt not in practice his attempt to get acquit ted on the Old Bailey charge should be success ful as he was not even editor of the issue in question which was edited by schoolchildrenthe very people who are supposed to be "pro tec tod'" by the law.
Following hard on heavy fines imposed at the Old Bailey last month on International Times, it is clear that the police are using the courts in an attempt to run the underground press out of existence. Alarmed by the rapid expansion of These papers, presenting an alternative focus to that provided by the official media and a set of political attitudes, half baked and anarchic but expressing the rebeilion and anti-authoritarian stance of young people, the police are de termined to serve their masters by adding to the list of persecuted minorities.
Attacks on OZ and IT carry dangers for revo Jutionary papers, Victory for the reactionaries in this area may give them confidence to attempt the closure of political papers such as the Red Mole, We send our greetings to Richard Neville and our support in his struggles against the puritans, manipulators and the senile, decaying
blues and the whites
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