So who did start the Notting Hill 'riot?

THE VERDICTS announced at the the ten-week Mangrove Restaurant the Old Bailey on Thursday evenin provoke some serious questions SHOP STEWARDS at British-Leyland, Cowley, whole affair.

NUMBER ONE: Why did the police go to such lengths as they did to try and obtain convictions of riotous assembly against the nine West Indian defendants ?

NUMBER TWO: How is it that after spending thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money on preparing evidence, witnesses' penses, lawyers' costs and so on, the police failed completely on the riot charges, the jury dismissing them? NUMBER THREE: Although two defendants were found guilty of causing an alray, and three of assaulting policemen, why were they given suspended sentences for such usually seriIt was on Sunday August 9, 1970, that black workers and youth demonstrated in Notting Hill Gate against a licence summons taken out against the Mangrove Restaurant, a popular meeting place in the area.

The marchers also made allegations about police brutality in the area, citing specific men involved.

When the 150 - strong column reached Portnall Rc police claimed a riot took place. They alleged the demonstrators started it and that several policemen were hurt.

Police arrested 17 people that day and picked up end of trial at } must in the BY PH several more in the weeks after the clash.

The capitalist press on the Monday morning were full of lurid stories of Black Power men beginning insurrections and called for more law and more order.

At the committal proceedings the magistrate threw out the charges of riotous assembly for lack of évidence.

It was the Director of Public Prosecutions who apparently brought the charge back at the Old Bailey.

Well, the jury found all of the Mangrove 9 not guilty of causing a riot.

That being a fact, who did start the enormous fight that took place that sunny, summer afternoon?

Through the trial the defendants alleged the police provoked the fight because of racial hatred • for the marchers.

DISMISSED

PC Pulley, one of the key in the sinade sense volved a West Indian had been •accused of having drugs.

That case was dismissed -with costs against the During the Old Bailey trial, even the judge himself SIL Ulster meetingSLL national secretary Q. Healy speaking to Thursday's Ulster meeting. Also on the platform were Sarah Hannigan, London YS secretary and chairman, Michael Banda, SLL Central Political manoeuvres are preparing a 'dirty deal' WORKERS in Ulster were BY STEPHEN JOHNS British workers in this fight facing a 'dirty deal', like the 1922 treaty which preserved capitalist rule in Ireland, a Socialist Labour background. League meeting on Ulster was warned on Thursday night. between the working class and SLL national secretary Gerry Healy said the intensive diplomatic activity on Ulster was a Tory preparation to establish some regime in the N to maintain the interests of the employing class.

"The stench of 1922 is in the air over Ulster. A dirty deal is being cooked up and canvassed secretly in the Nand the S, he told the meeting of 400 workers and youth at the Beaver Hall, London.

The campaign to smash Irish workers' heroic resistance to the Tories' mercenary army had failed.

Now the Tory government wanted to get out, the ques- Unite tion was what kind of rule was to replace them. He warned that British im- secretary perialism was old, bloodstained, but also very clever. Puppets terror against army Throughout its ex-colonies it had been able to establish a series of puppet regimes that rendered the investment gains which were due to the City of London. leadership.

The forces were now gathering in the N and S for a similar kind of deal over Ulster. workers and peasantry.

"The Rev Ian Paisley has already made several public each time important leaders of the Provisional IRA have jumped to attention and welcomed his remarks, said comrade Healy. Press film on the Ulster In the S the Lynch governpOLl:

ARE GUI INCITE Ai. case earlier this year.

> WADE felt he had to send the jury out midway through the proceedings to consider dropping the riot and affray charges.

When Judge Edward Clarke QC gave the suspended sentences to the four convicted of afiray and assault, he gave reasons for "leniency' which can be described as odd, to say the least. imposed in the spirit of this 'The penalties particular season of the year which in most circumstances should be a season for promoting peace and good will towards all men,' he said.

This brought laughter ment was also dependent on the continued rule of capitalism and they too were having talks with the Tory governA most dangerous factor in this situation was the politics of the Provisional IRA. In the employing class.' 1922 the workers and peasants had fought heroically for six years, only to be handed over to the bourgeoisie.

'These brave men were placed in a strait-jacket after 1922, unable to see their way 'Right-to-Work' march in February 1972. forward to the real liberation of their class in Ireland.

Together 'We do not morally condemn the use of terror by the IRA as a principle, but as a tactic. Anyone who says Ireof troops from Ulster, land can be won by terror and the gun alone is talking unification of Ireland. rubbish and we speak for a generation of Irish workers who cannot speak because they are dead, said comrade Healy.

The Ulster crisis was part of the world economic crisis that affected capitalism.

Before this crisis emerged in its present form of growing mass unemployment, Catholics alone could not win and Protestants in Ulster lived workers their freedom. together without shooting each other.

The crisis and the massive unemployment and poverty it brought had re-opened the wounds of old religious prejudice that divided working class.

•It was because it had this view of the Ulster situation inch of principle.

that the SLL alone called for the resignation of the Tory government, if necessary united industrial and political bread, peace and land.

action of the Ulster and British workers.

If the Catholic and Protestant workers can join with situation was shown.