Brixton orgy of cop violence

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THE POLICE in Brixton have succeeded in dispelling all illusions with their brutal dawn raids on 15th July.

Hundreds of police smashed their way into premises in Railton Road and indulged in an orgy of destruction on the pretext of searching for petrol bomb making equipment. This involved breaking into unlocked rooms, intimidating and insulting the occupants, looking inside TV sets, guitars, hi-fi, toilet bowls land irreparably damaging them) and even demolising a false wall.

An off-licence proprietor was put out of business as a result and several people were arrested for possession of small amounts of drugs (considered no great crime by most people) or even obstruction of the police!

No bomb-making equipment was found, though possession of paraffin for heating was thought to be rather suspicious.

Front line

These raids can only have been a deliberate community, provocation of the, Briston universal anger led swiftly 50 new uprisings in the subsequent nights.

No. doubt it was the intention of the police to isolate the people of the Font line from public sympathy and to pressurise ine government to accede o police demands for more 'effective' methods of repression. While they may have succeeded in the aiter aim, in the former isey were wholly unsuccessful and have merely : evealed themselves to be stupid as well as vicious.

Socialist Organiser supporters in Lambeth will Se attempting to raise emergency motions at this week's GMC meetings of the Lambeth Labour Parties. These will call:

• for the removal of the police forces of occupation from the Railton Road area, • for Lambeth Council to sponsor & meeting to discuss community-controlled alternatives to state policing, • for the release of those arrested and imprisoned by Arthur Bough FASCISTS seem to have dropped a plan to march on August 1st through one of Stoke's black communities, and instead aim to bring in a lot of people from outside to distribute Nazi literature at a large rock concert at Vale Park (Port Vale's football groand). This poses somewhat of a problem for the left in Stoke.

A few months ago North Staffs CND organised a march and festival for August 1st. About £300 has already been spent on it, but it looked as if the whole thing could be called off because of a threatened police ban on marches requested by the labour City Council.

It now seems the CND march can go ahead, though with changed details. That means that many people who could be stopping the fascists will be at the Festival.

The hard-core Left in Stoke is not very big, and a division of labour is not really possible. Many people involved in CND will prefer to avoid confrontations, and choose the Festival rather than fighting the fascists. It is important, as a result provo- of cation, • for the Greater London Council to withhold the Metropolitan Police precept and use it to fund community-controlled defence.

Socialist Organiser porters elsewhere also take up demands. therefore, that the left in Stoke mot to stop the fascists, that we get support surrounding areas.

For details nearer date, phone Socialist aniser at 01-609 3071. suplould hese hard ilises from the Evel 'Community policing' in