Waldorf case brings new views of "self defence"

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drish setback New issue of Class Fighter now out -for 15p plus postage from 214 Sickert THE two policemen who fired five bullets into film director Steven Waldorf and then beat him about the head walked free from court last week. astoundingly cleared of all charges arising from the incident last January.

Their trial had come conveniently after the well publicised trial of David Martin — the wanted criminal for whom Waldorf was mistaken by the policemen - even though Martin's eventual arrest (alive) came some weeks after the Waldorf shooting. ment had successfully neutralised the unions. The defence case for the accused police officers was focussed on a novel interpretation of the "self defence" argument. If Waldorf had been Martin, dangerous and armed, then he might, inside the yellow mini where he was a passenger, work. have been reaching for a gun.

The judge, Mr Justice CroomJohnson made much of this point, insisting to the jury that prosecution evidence had not trades dispute with the workers' own employer. ruled out 'the possibility that the officer acted in self defence when he fired at the Mini.. and later hit him across the head with a pistol." "If the circumstances are justified you can get your blow in first to prevent attack."

The problem with this definition of "self-defence" is that it face losses of £500,000 per week.

jobs, he declared. then, if they were foolish enough to twitch; writhe or groan in their agony, be beaten about the head with a pistol butt.

The additional stark truth to emerge is that the case would most likely never have gone to court is it had actually been David Martin in the car -whether or not he had been killed.

The court decision effectively upholds a police policy of "fire at will" so long as the target is a wanted criminal - in effect a policy of endorsing summary execution of those suspected of crime. And in a case where a criminal is wanted for using violence against the police there is the additional possibility of an element of revenge.

Execution

Summary execution of suspects is commonly the case in countries where police forces are armed; and it has been the case for many years in the six counties of Northern Ireland, where police and army gunmen, with boots, batons and plastic bullets exert a reign of terror against the Catholic minority irrespective of their age, sex or DESPITE the 2,000-strong national demonstration in his support two weeks ago, the High Court last week decided to confirm the order for the deportation of Bengali social worker Mohammad Idrish.

Idrish came to Britain in 1976 as a student and married a British woman: with whom he lived for five years. Now the breakdown of that marriage is being used as the basis for the Home Office to seek his deportation.

He works in West Bromwich as social worker, and his occupation.

But to have such behaviour again endorsed by the courts in Britain itself came as a shock to liberal public opinion - and has even proved somewhat of an embarrassment to the police hierarchy itself, whose guidelines on firearms are shown to be powerless to influence police behaviour.

This is why, hoping to dissuade Steven Waldorf from pursuing a civil suit against the police - who have not so much as apologised to him for his fearful injuries and suffering -Scotland Yard top brass last week began debating the amount that should be offered in compensation.

Police Federation leaders however are looking for even more sweeping discretion in the use of firearms - backed up by the implicit threat to refuse to use guns unless given much more of a "license to kill".

For the labour movement the lesson must be to step up the campaign work against the Tory Police Bill, which aims to offer increased powers to the cops in their harassment of working class people - particularly youth and blacks - on the streets. struggle against deportation has been officially backed by his union, NALGO, as well as other labour movement and antiracist organisations.

The campaign is asking that members of SCPS, CPSA and TGWU in particular send urgent branch resolutions to their union leaderships opposing the deportation and demanding action to boycott all work around it.

Support meetings, letters to the Home Secretary, MPs and the press must also be organised as soon as possible if the deportation is to be halted.

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