Expose Hackney's Racist Cops

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IT 11.25 on the night of Wednesday 12 January, ›lin Roach died in Stoke Newington police station. vo nours later, tne pouce issued a press release iting that Colin had committed suicide by shooting

"The same night, Colin's father was questioned for ree hours by the police. While being questioned he is not told of his son's death. Police then searched e Roach home. During this search, a policewoman

"Two days later, the Roach family en given any explanation as to how ed. Yet'three statements were issued to the press by e police. Some newspapers claimed that Colin had a history of mental illness, a story obviously inspired all mierpittanon ur ut LULLIUL VI death as police murder fits the police - but the key one this experience better. Ihere to unite around is that of the have been three police Support Committtee: for an station deaths in recent independent inquiry into the years. . death of Colin Roach. 2,000 marched in Leeds, and 3,000 in Derry, on Sunday 30 January to mark the 11th anniversary of 'Bloody Sunday', when British troops shot dead 13 peaceful demonstraThere was also a Sicttish demonstration, örganised a week early on Saturday 22nd, so as not to clash wiin Leeds and Derry. 800 joined a Glasgow Irish Solidarity Campaign The Labour Committec on Ireland is now organising for a 'Ban Plastic Bullets' conferenor in Manchester on lebruary 26. Credentials for labour movement delegates cost €3 from Plastic Bullets Conference, Box 15, 164-6 Hanging Ditch, Manchester M3 4BN. by lea Fal serI pol pIc Thi toll Ro of a 1l per COI 1L -msell witn a sawn-or snotgun.

abbed Mrs. Roach by the throat. by the police." 'the police."

This story.- told in a flet issued by the Roach mily Support Committee is the latest in a long ies involving Hackney's Lice.

Hackney cops seem sud of their reputation. e current issue of oice" reports that, "A ung woman who was ested last week claimed it Stoke Newington police d her they shot Colin ach."

At last month's meeting the local Labour council notion calling for an indeident inquiry into the lin Roach case was passed erwhelmingly. The same I has been backed by local bour Parties and communiorganisations, as well as : Roach Family Support mmittee, Hackney Black ›ple's Association, and ckney Legal , Defe ce mmittee.

They are also calling for had still not or why Colin Roach Family Support Committee: March and Rally.

For an independent public inquiry into the death of Colin Roach Saturday February 12, 1pm, Hackney Town Hall, Mare St, E8.

There are also regular pickets of Stoke Newington police station each Saturday morning.

an end to the police intimidation and mass arrests used against peogie protesting about the Reach killing.

On January 17 60 black youth picketed Stoke Newington police station and 17 were arrested (their case comes up i on March 1). Forty protesters were arresColin Roach ted in the week after Colin Roach's death.

The protests have all been peaceful, but the police decided to provoke "disturbances"

Hackney Black People's Association has written to Superintendant Moore of the Metropolitan Police accusing the police of provocations outside Hackney Town Hall and along the route of a protest march, and noting that: «Our observers at the two earlier protests report that it was police officers who baton charged protesters on both occasions. Some of the people arrested have complained of racial abuse and violence by police officers...

The police are also busy feeding lies to the press. The Sunday Telegraph for instance, ran a headline after the march, "Black Demo Gang Loot Jewels Shop -Violence after Police Station Death Protest"

In fact the jewel robbery took place before the protests and had nothing to do with them.

The "free" press has done its usual job. The Daily Telegraph simply reported that "A coloured man with a history of mental illness walked into Stoke Newington Police Station late on Wednesday and shot himself through the head with a single-barrelled sawn-off shotgun. Police are satisfied no one else is involved."

The Daily Mail's sympathetic story started "A mugger not long out of jail " And last week the Evening Standard ran a front page story in which it claimed that Keith Scully, a friend of Colin Roach who saw him only minutes before he went into the police station, had said that Colin was beside himself with fear.

A subsequent interview with Scully on Channel 4, although reportedly heavily edited, has car comments att by the Standa People livi white nennle might wonder nennle aren't. accept the po the event.

The reasor experience black commu tors in Derry. st doubt : on the ributed to him Id. ng elsew here -in narti cular -r why H ackney IM ATAITT mora wi illino tn ›lice ver sion of 1 is simr ›le: the of Har ckney's nity is t hat the march in Port Glasgow. police are truncheon-toting terrorists and racists. Their experience is of false arrest, harassment, beating, racist ahuco intimidation and baenno intimidation and frame-up.

An intronantatina of tha Severa demands are being rais sed - close Stoke Newington police station, suspension of Stoke Newington nolice station officers until an inquiry is completer enmminitv contrai nf