BURNThe local council ignored the mounting opposition in the neighbourhood by putting a youth club in Pimlico and the Metro jointly under Laurie Little's control. The feeling grew in the "Grove" that he and his committee were intruders as they hailed from another area, about three miles up the road. This resentment resulted in Little's removal from the club by the management.
By now the club had become predominantly black (95%). Because of the tremendous popularity of the club, there were instances of overcrowding which led to a certain amount of uneasiness inside the club and skylarking outside it.
Initially the project had been approved enthusiastically by social workers, pigs, including the local so-called "crime prevention officer", and so on, but very soon the pillars of capitalism became alarmed at the potentialities of the club. The pigs began to look for trouble in and around the club. In December 1968 six black youths from the Metro were accused of the rape of a white girl, and of course found guilty by the racist courts. A youth playing around outside the club was accused of being in possession of a "dangerous weapon"-a piece of iron! One pig involved on this occasion was also prominent in the events of May 24th this year. A drugs raid and the killing of a black man by a police car in the area, then the arrest of two more youths outside the club in October 1970 further increased the tension. During this time an attempt was made to reduce the amount of noise so that neighbours would not be disturbed, and both Little and Chris Leonard, who was appointed to replace him, refused to allow the police to enter the club in pursuit of provocateur". Of course it was the black youths police van unconscious, and three or four pigs sat with their feet on him all the way to the station. On arrival he was propped against the wall and left there, in contradiction of regulations displayed on the wall instructing police to obtain immediate medical attention for unconscious prisoners. When he came to he was taken to a detention cell and systematically punched in the ribs in the presence of the police surgeon. His groans were laughingly commented on by a policewoman to another pig in the hearing of one of the people arrested. He was later taken to hospital, but made to walk to the ambulance, although obviously in no fit state to do SO.
Others who were arrested were kicked and punched in the van; all were kept in custody without appearing before a magistrate longer than the period stipulated by the law-24 hours-but this is a common occurrence. Bail was phenomenally high, and prisoners were made to sleep on bare boards with inadequate coverings in filthy cells. This treatment shocked at least one of the white people arrested, who had imagined that under English law everyone was assumed innocent until proved guilty, and treated accordingly.
In assessing the Metro affair, it is important to stress that similar instances of police harassment of black people, and indeed of other oppressed minorities, occur continually. It is only when large numbers are involved, or a death occurs, that newspaper reports appear at all. And when reports do appear, the story is carefully constructed to give a distorted view of the actual facts. The papers reporting the Metro incidents announced that policemen had been hurt. but no mention was who got the worst treatment. One was taken to the Soledad Brothers catalogue. 01-837 6954, 01-278 2616.
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Comment around the latest Immigration Bill is Industrial Relations Bill. Fourthly, the passing, deter blacks from applying for work permits.