Can you tell us what happened here last Friday with the police?
We were here picketing deputies. There were about forty picketers and about three police at first, then a 40-seater bus arrived full of police and several vans bringing more police and there turned out to be about 90 to 100 police to 40 pickets. A superintendent started picking people out saying "keep your eye on him" and "keep your eye on him". After a time the superintendent himself went and arrested a young lad for disturbing the peace. All he'd done was shout "scab" and "blackleg" to a deputy trying to push his way through the pickets. Within two to three hours he was arrested, charged and convicted.
When he came back in the afternoon the superintendent said, "that's what we want.
swift justice™ This got one or two of our backs up and we started shouting at the police, but nothing physical. Then the superintendent started all the bother. He went wading in with the fist and boot, and one or two inspectors joined in. One sergeant, hestarted on twoof our lads who were just walking up beside a wall, he was shoving them against the wall, putting the fist in. There was none of us using a bit of violence bar that superintendent, the two inspectors and a few police.
They arrested one bloke saying he was going to throw a brick. He went to court and they said he ran up behind the picket is just NUM people there, not to be infiltrated by the political fringe groups. I can't answer for the NUM but only for myself I think it is an appalling situation because I have come into contact with lads from political groups for a long time now and I have found that whenever the lads have come onto the picket lines and have been able to enter into discussion with the actual rank and file members who are manning the picket lines, they have had quite an impact and made quite an impression. There is nothing that impresses people in mining communities more than talking to people who are in command of the subject. The lads have always been able to make a good case out as far as I'm concerned. The miners have accepted them. What do you think of the support students have been giving to the strike?
I can say as a rank and file member of the NUM. I am delighted that student bodies in universities up and down the country have got the-common sense to invite NUM speakers along in order that they can outline the case. The fact that the students have been active in their support for a group of workers is a good sign for the future. The NUM and other groups of workers should make sure that the links that have been forged should be strengthened and maintained in the future. I think that the rank and file members of NUM are aware of where they are getting the support from. The Red Mole, Socialist Worker and Morning Star etc. The miners will in the next few years make sure that the message of 100 per cent support from these groups gets across. line picked up a brick with his right hand and was going to throw.it. But everybody in Grimethorpe knows he's a lefthander, the best lefthander in Grimethorpe. he can't throw with his right hand. He was convicted on both charges. That's the type of attitude the police were taking. There were several people hit by the bobbies. It was this superintendent Story and one or two others who started all the trouble round here.
Has there been any other trouble with the police here?
The superintendent has only been here twice with his heavy gang, on Friday and the time that chap was killed at the coalite depot. Both times there's been some knuckle thrown and some boot dished out by the police. When he's not been here everything's been run orderly and run in a decent manner. They have caused all the trouble in our opinion. The police were well respected by the majority of us in Grimethorpe, but after a situation like that, they have lost a hell of a lot of respect round here.
This seems to be a national situation with the police trying to break pickets. Yes. I didn't think the police would do anything like that. I'm in the specials, I'm a sergeant in the specials, and I'm resigning after this situation. I wouldn't have anything at all to do with them.
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