The RCG has a long history of supporting our comrades when they are under state attack. Throughout our organisation’s existence, we have always taken both legal and political defence extremely seriously, ensuring our supporters have the best solicitors and mobilising immediately to protest at police stations where they are detained.
On 24 January, as soon as we heard that our comrades had been trapped in a police ‘kettle’ from which they would be arrested, we began to mobilise. Protesters were taken to 17 different police stations across the capital. We managed to organise protests at Wood Green, Acton and Lewisham, keeping up speeches and chanting until all arrestees were released, some more than 20 hours later. At some other police stations, such as Colindale, there were similar lively protests.
We were horrified to then be contacted by people also providing arrestee support, telling us that we shouldn’t be organising ‘noise demos’ or publicising the locations where people were detained. The Green and Black Cross (GBC) organisation, which provides excellent ‘know your rights’ training for activists, went as far as to post on Instagram that people wanting to support the Wormwood Scrubs arrestees should not organise or join ‘noise demos’, that protesting at police stations interfered with legal support and that it could be ‘overwhelming’ for arrestees. At one police station, it was claimed, with no foundation whatsoever, that a noisy protest would result in people being detained for longer.
The organising work of GBC, the Activist Court Aid Brigade and other such groups is a valued contribution to the movement, but does not give those delivering this support the right to proscribe how others show solidarity.
The 86 arrestees on 24 January were targeted specifically for their participation in solidarity actions with pro-Palestine prisoners and had been arrested at a ‘noise demo’ outside a prison. To reduce those who represent the most militant section of the current Palestine solidarity movement to the passive recipients of welfare-based support devoid of political content is counter-productive, patronising and reactionary. It undermines the urgent need to build a movement capable of challenging the increasing state repression which this mass arrest clearly signals.
Arrestees have been notified of a defendants’ meeting to discuss ‘legal strategy’, as well as ‘the wider process and potential consequences if you are prosecuted’. This is of course welcome, but what is also required is a political campaign that can link the struggle for the Wormwood Scrubs 86 not to face charges into a wider campaign to defend all those criminalised for their solidarity with Palestine, be that the Filton 24, Brize Norton 5 and Moog 8 prisoners, the thousands arrested on Defend our Juries’ protests or those like the SOAS 2, Tony Greenstein and Kwabena Devonish facing Terrorism Act charges for allegedly encouraging support for armed resistance movements.
