in Brixton with a baton'.
i do eke a conductors wand. Whatever a baton may be does resemble Either way, it certainly isn't official Metropolitan equipment is almost years since Blair Peach was killed in Southall.
Lord Justice Bridge said in the Appeal Court: i casull Peach died from a blow to the to suspect head struck by a police officer unauthorised potentially lethal weapon' al.
Although Brixton on Ine 12-13 April, police were seen on a number of occasions truncheons and plements to batter blacks and whites.
It is useful to look back at doesn't look pick-axe much as possible.
Police exactly two to be resorted lo in 'There is arrest have that Blair prisoner through the officer used or overpowered. and 'In every instance died in weekend of to say: 'In the other imtions have been changed, 'The evidence officer be dangerous them officers should aim at the arms and legs as those parts of effective' the body are least likely to suffer injury and avoid the head as be liable quite badly.
'The use of the truncheon is extreme changed, cases, when all other efforts to failed and likely to escape being ill changes.' where a SPG truncheon is used it is to be sub mitted to the station officer for Following inspection as soon as possible.
The NCCL report goes absence of any statement by the Metropolitan Police or the Home Secretary April suggesting that these instruc Four take them as the standard by cheon long truncheon used by a police 'When asked if they coulc weapons, he agreed that "they must be very and that an officer using the long truncheon would to injure somebody 'If the instructions given to the Metropolitan Police concerning the use of short and truncheons have been then MPs public should be told what the new instructions are and what justification there is for the the the Southall events. the following weapon: were taken from lockers of the Special Patrol Group officers who had been on duty on 23 police dissue cheons; a leather encased trunapproximalel) foot long with a knotted thong at the end; a meta! truncheon which was encased in leather of eight inches in length with a very flexible handle and a lead weight in the end; a pickaxe handle; an Americantype beat truncheon which was feet length; leather whip; two cases openers DONC led knife with a long blade case; two crowbars about three feet in length; a piece of wood about three feet long, two in- tion Sue, a black single parent who has lived in Brixton all her life, describes what it's like.
MY 12-year-old son has been questioned by police in the road.
A few times during the past several months I've been spoken to in the streets by police.
They asked me how many men I had last night and on another occasion one copper asked me if I knew where my little boy was and then simply walked away. I was very frightened until I got home These sort of things don't really bother us on their own. But put all these things together with no jobs, great difficulty in getting things on hire purchase, schools which prepare our children for the worst jobs and the dole, then and only then really try to understand the effect of this over a period of years, then no-one will be able to ask why the rebellion happened last Only why did it take so long in coming and why did it end after such a short time!
• didn't participate although I spent the better part of th veekend in the streets. It seemed like the whole of Brixton wa out in the streets.
We felt that finally we were collectively saying to the government 'Enough is enough' and if you want to continue with harassment and intimidation and police violence against us; if you continue giving us the back end of everything you have to give; if you constantly call us bad names, then this is what you will get in return. i heard some man on the box during the fighting saying that we were only burning down our own homes and shops.
the best thing that could happen to most of the place is to burn The telly man never really thought about it, but at least now some sun will get into the streets. It's good your paper is here asking us about last weekend. I want to tell your readers that last weekend was a festival, not a riot The youth of Brixton — black and white - now know that pubs, banks, shops, and police cars will burn if you put a match to them. We all are peaceful around here, but we are capable of being provoked.
What happened last week was a very positive thing, but now we all around here must get together and fight for what we need and want.
We must stop the terrible police harassment and encourage people to organise themselves so that everytime some copper does something we don't like we will have the muscle to demanc something else.
The problem with Brixton is that the people here have no power. Why don't the rich people over in Chelsea burn down their shops want and have a government that will give them more Ai this time the most important thing we should be doing is to make sure that all those hundreds who were arrested last week be discharged. cerned they did nothing criminal. ALL: along the police vestigating the Deptford fire in which 13 black youth died have denied that there was any sign that the fire was the result of a racist attack.
But new evidence will be presented to this week's in. quest into the fire by the Metropolitan Police Scien tific branch to challenge this assumption. Apparently on Sunday morning after the fire police found in the garden an aluminium tube containing traces of sodium chlorate and sugar highly explosive mixture.
Spokespeople for the police consistently told the press that nothing had been found which could have been a container for firebomb - they lied and hid this evidence from the pub. lic for almost three months What else have they hidden?
The New Cross Massacre Action Committee fears cover-up and is asking for support for a picket of the inquest.
Picket and attend the Coroners Court ram 930 a.m. to 1p.m , Hall London SE1 21-24 April For leaflets and further informa contact the CrOS Committee Shakespeare London SE24 OPT. Tel 01-737 2268 — if you - I'll tell you — it's because they have what they As far as the peopie of Brixton are con...Socialist Challenge :23:April 1981 Pag
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ACCORDING to last week's Now! magazine, this is a photograph of a plain-clothes police officer 'on patrol