East London. Any night in June 1976. Time: twilight to midnight.
Two cars are to set out from our base. Eleven of the volunteers who have turned up are chosen, mainly for their determination and trustworthiness. Everybody knows everybody else. Ten of the eleven have been out on previous nigues.
There's an orderly discussion; how to deal with the different situa tions we may encounter. The routes are decided. Each car is to meet the other at hourly intervals. Both drivers know the area like the back of their hands. One car is to check on the other bases from which other patrols will be setting out.
Nothing in the first two hours. We drive almost in silence. It's worrying that so many Asians, standing in groups on street corners or leaning out of the cafes and doorways, recognise and acknowledge our mission. They wave, and one or two give clenched fist salutes.
Down the Commercial Road to the East India Dock Road and then into Corbin House off Bromley High Street. We've been told that a white gang gathers there around pub closing time. The Asian tenant who brings the information has had his windows smashed, his house robbed, his children assaulted the previous day. The buildings around have a long history of shameful racist intimidation, abuse and assault.
We are to go and talk to the Asian families on our rounds. Two of the families tell us, standing in their doorways (which we do deliberately to inform the neighbours of our presence), that the police have been called each time there is an assault, and ech time they have carried away the Asian who complained and charged him. We suggest practical ways of collective self-defence. We leave them two phone numbers.
Several police cars pass us on the Mile End Road. As we turn down Toynbee Street, our driver spots trouble. Two young Asians are being followed by four young white men. are bullying a young Asian. He has his arms above his head and one of the police officers is thrusting a lit torch right up his nose, Nazi style.
'Fuck off or we'll have you for obstruction', the policeman says. He is asking the man they've stopped if he's an illegal immigrant. They are radioing for a car.
SOLICITOR We cross the street and shout to the detainee in Bengali to tell us his name and address. He begins to reply and one of the policemen clamps a hand over his mouth to stop him. The police car arrives and they bundle him into it. We're back in the car. One of us phones to a solicitor who is on call, the others these 7 May Mr Sariman Halder stabbed by a gang of thugs in Toynbee Street. They made no attempt to rob him. He suffered a punctured lung. Attackers drove off in a van. 9 May Rihan Kabir, residing in Bernard House, chased n suck Lane by tang with Kives. 10 May White boys attack Bengalis outside Daneford School. Four Bengalis arrested. 12 May Idris Ullah, residing in Casson Street, chased from Vallance Road by three young men. Hit on the head and stabbed in the side. No attempt at robbery.
13 May Shamsul Uddin, residing in Corbin follow the police car to Bethnal Green Police Station.
We get out of the car and approach. back to one of the bases and we call La member of the Anti-Racist Committee for Asians in East London of a previous night, we know that the police won't give bail without having the passport on hand.
The other car reports back.
Commercial Road.
are smarter, they can't be caught House, Bow Road. At 10.30 p.m. he was assaulted by three boys in front of Jim Miah residing in Weaver House his mouth cut by a bottle which was thrown at him. 14 May Mr Uddin arrested. Broom and hammer taken from his home. He was charged with possessing an offensive weapon.
HO May by 10 youths in a van. 17 May attacked in Aston Street. When police arrived he was immediately asked if he was a squatter. 21 May 20 minutes. Rana Miah in hospital.
Six thousand people marched through the streets of London last sunday tor the second weekend running to protest the But despite its size and the large number of blacks present, the demo did not have the representative character and national spread of that on 4 July - which makes it doubly sad that the International Socialism aroup chose to put its eggs into this particular basket. With the Communist Party sending no forces on either demo and barely reporting the second at all, the complete unity of the far left on the march against racism would have provided a powerful focus for anti-racist miliAs it was, the pro-Peking Indian Workers Associations called the demo for 11 July in opposition to the pro-Moscow Southall IWA's demo on 4 July - despite the fact that the Before the car gets to the station, the solicitor has got the particulars of the arrested man. The patrol goes (ARC-AEL) to deal with. the police.
The committee man sets out to find the relatives and the passport of the arrested man. From the experience They've been stopped by police in The Inspector tells one of the group: "We're picking you lot up, because the whites From our experiences of other nights on patrol, we know different.
ciple on 7 July.
Mozlu Miah, residing in Queensbridge Road E 2. Attacked in Commercial Road Dudu Miah, residing in Aston Street, Rampart Street, after 11 p.m., 12 boys the noour movemen slogans raised on each demonstration were victually dentical:
The only difference was that the Sikh religious organisation Akhali Dal and the proto-fascist Jan Sangh were allowed platform speakers on 11 July because they share similar positions to the Maoists on the state of emergency in India.
Police harassment was also stepped up on the second marcr - militants of the Southall Youth Movement coming in for special attention. But when an arrest was made at Tratalga Square the comrades refused to move and forced the release of the arrested militant. As the demo was reaching its dispersa point, however, the police moved in again with horses and foot police to break up the demo and make further arrests. If thi Southall Youth Movement's militant self-defence is to be extended then at least all tuture anti-racist demos must De rigorously stewarded. The two arms of the law in Grays last weekend: a helping hand for the fascists, and a straight right for the leftists
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with offensive weapons on them? ....to prevent attacks like
WEEKLY SELF-DEFENCE REPEAL IMMIGRASION LAWS NO PLATFORNLFOR RACISTS