Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! no 9 – March/April 1981
Police repression in Holloway has continued without mercy since the arrests of 20 local youths at the end of December. At the time a Homsey Road police thug said, ‘We want the blacks off the streets for Christmas’.
Not content with harassment of black people on the streets and in their homes, at the courts and in the prisons, the police have now carried their attacks into the schools. Readers can see from the letter printed on this page what happened on Monday 16 February at a North London school. The youth arrested were actually grabbed and beaten up in the school building itself.
The letter which FRFI is pleased to publish was given to our supporters, who have been working regularly in the area, by youths from the school. We are impressed by the solidarity and determination of these youth to organise against police tyranny. They do not see why such actions should be carried out and kept secret from parents and the community as a whole. The school authorities know, the teachers know, so let the world know what can happen to black and working class youths in a London school. That is the message from 150 pupils.
Other fightbacks are taking place too. Many schools in North London have taken the news of the South London massacre of 13 black youths to their friends and families. Collections have been made and sent to the New Cross Massacre Action Committee. Many school children supported the Black People’s Day of Action, travelling miles across London to show their solidarity and determination not to let the British state and its friends, the racists get away with murder.
Many people know that the attack on black parties at New Cross and Birmingham are by no means rare. At New Cross the racists reaped a bitter harvest. In Birmingham the black community won a battle against the police. In Holloway a Valentine’s Day party held for school-children was attacked by racists in a typically cowardly way. A group of young people were attacked and racially insulted on leaving the party. They scattered and when they regrouped with larger forces were met by an even bigger gang armed with knives and broom handles. The racists told those at the party that they would be ‘picked off one by one’. The boot, however, seems to be on the other foot. It appears that two of the racists are now in hospital with broken legs, nose and jaw between them. The fightback is getting organised.
SCHOOL LETTER
Do you know what goes on at Archway. Do you know what the Holloway police do to black school kids of Islington? We the undersigned will tell you. On Monday 16 February 1981 one more incident of racist police harassment took place, only this one was clearly a planned attack. Over 30 so called guardians of law and order, namely racist police thugs, invaded Archway school, 8 cars, 3 vans including a dog van and two helicopters were used. They came in the playground and immediately started harassing and trying to arrest one youth, other youths who saw this went to find out what was going on. One schoolkid was arrested and beaten up along with his friend while teachers looked on and did nothing. They were both held in Holloway Police Station and beaten up again, both were released without charge. This is the sort of attack that we suffer day in and day out. We the undersigned are not prepared to put up with it any longer, we will not be harassed by the police. We resist all attacks from the NF or their brothers in blue the Holloway police. We the undersigned demand that this letter be printed. The people of Islington should be told the truth.
signed by 150 young people
