UK ANTI-WAR NEWS!

national | miscellaneous | news report Sunday March 23, 2003 23:31 by Abu Shakuntala abu_shakuntala at hotmail dot com

Two SLP Youth statments

1. the new generation of revolutionaries Socialist Labour Party Youth harassed, arrested and beaten up by police yesterday 2. on the death of Rachel Corrie in Gaza by Israeli State

1. the new generation of revolutionaries
Socialist Labour Party Youth harassed, arrested and beaten up by police
yesterday

[my Bro got arrested on yesterdays anti-war demo in parliament square.
then
my best mate and myself got duffed up at the police station where he
was
help. we all spent the night in a cell. here is the story and press
release
from SLP Youth. Below that is the accounts of what exactly what went on
His
trial is on Tuesday morning at Bow Streets magistrates in London at
10am.
xSK]

http://www.slpyouth.org
[email protected]

Anti-war students: the new generation of revolutionaries
Socialist Labour Party Youth harassed, arrested and beaten up by police
yesterday

Yesterday there were two types of resistance that the imperialists of
Britain were not expecting, firstly, the Iraqi resistance which did not
allow the US and British occupation forces even 200 metres into Iraqi
land,
and secondly, the resistance of the youth in Britain who took to the
streets
to oppose this war.

Youth and students, in their teens and in their twenties, especially
working
class and oppressed working class communities, up and down the country
of
Britain have shown the whole radical, progressive, and left wing
movement
the way forward to resist this war. SLP Youth have been intensely
involved
in helping them to set up anti-war co-ordination committees in several
cities across the country. Wherever they are active they have thrown
themselves wholeheartedly into helping the students with banners,
leaflets,
slogans on the streets, demos, and occupations.

Many SLP Youth activists were on demos yesterday as the British and USA
Imperialists officially declared war. We took to the streets, and SLP
Youth
in London stood side by side with the thousands of youth and students
in
Parliament Square, students who came from all corners of the capital.
They
chanted slogans, discussed about the war, took and read anti-war
leaflets,
and faced the provocations of the police very bravely. Special mention
must
be made of the youth from East London areas of Tower Hamlets and Brick
Lane
who showed impressive unity, militancy and solidarity with each other
when
on the demo and in defending themselves against the police
provocations.

Navroz Chandan, 20 years old SLP Youth member, was snatched from the
crowd
by police (4:30pm) and forced into a police van and then to Charing
Cross
police station. He was arrested for violent disorder for allegedly
throwing
a plastic bottle at the police lines (an accusation he vociferously
denies,
and the police video footage would prove this), and then later charged
with
Section 4 (1) (A) of the 1986 Public Order Act for which states “You
did use
towards another person threatening and abusive words and behaviour with
intent to cause that person to believe that immediate unlawful violence
would be used against him or another by any person, or to provoke the
immediate use of unlawful violence by that person or another, or
whereby
that person was likely to believe that such violence would be used, or
it
was likely that such violence would be provoked”. He denies this
charge, and
will be appearing at Bow Streets Magistrates in London on Tuesday
morning 25
March. Navroz says “yesterday was an inspiring day for the anti-war
movement; the militancy of the youth is something everyone should learn
from. When I was awaiting being taken into the station with about six
other
youth from East London, it was great to see their political
understanding
about the realities behind the terrorism act; ‘its [the terrorist act]
bullshit man, they try to make us think that everyone else is a
terrorist,
but they be the ones bombing and killing innocent people’ said one
youth.
Then police intimidation didn’t effect the youth who face this
provocation
daily in their communities, as one Bangladeshi youth said to me in the
police station ‘Blood! [slang for brother] this is nothing, it happens
to us
everyday!’. What happened to me was also nothing; rather we have to
remember
and learn from the great resistance of our brothers and sisters in
Palestine
and Iraq, the continued anti-imperialist struggle from Colombia to
Nepal,
and the steadfast defiance to imperialist threats as can be seen by the
courageous people of Korea.”

After confirming that Navroz was at Charing Cross police station, SLP
Youth
national Student Organiser Sukant Chandan, SLP Youth member Fahim Ahmed
and
Brother Asad Raja arrived at the police station whereby they were
waiting in
the reception area around 6:30pm. Fahim went in to represent Navroz as
his
legal adviser. At around 11pm police officers in the reception area
asked
Sukant and Asad to wait outside, they refused and were thrown into the
streets and slammed against police vans. After each time thrown against
police vehicles outside, Sukant and Asad verbally confronted the police
officers (numbering 10 at this time), asking ‘why have you done
this?!’,
‘for what reason?!’. Police officers started punching Sukant and Asad
in the
face, double handcuffed Asad while beating him in the face and upper
body;
put Sukant on the ground – kneeling on the pavement, head held by one
officer on the ground, two policeman taking one arm each in an arm
lock. In
this position, Sukant was taken to a cell, searched in this position,
and
locked in. Asad’s cuffs were taken off and he walked into his cell.
After
around 5 hours Sukant and Asad were released and no further action was
taken
against them. Asad says “it was inspiring to see the kids out on the
streets
against the war. This was contrasted by the disgusting manner in which
the
police were acting; surrounding the kids, caging them in and using
physically violent behaviour against them. We got man handled by the
police
while peacefully sitting inside the station and arrested. It just goes
to
show that the police are not there to protect the people”

We call on all youth against the war, and all the anti-war movement to
learn
from the militant example set by the youth at the demo; it shows that
youth
can make themselves heard, that they can make a difference.

“The young people are the most active and vital force in society. They
are
the most eager to learn and the least conservative in their thinking.”
Mao Tsetung

Account of arrest of Navroz Chandan at Parliament Square on 20.03.03

Navroz Chandan was part of the anti-war demonstration, and was in a
crowd of
mainly young people who were confronted by a line of police officers.
He was
shouting anti-war slogans and gesturing towards the police with both
arms.

All of a sudden he felt a push in his back. He turned around to see a
PC
pushing him forward. The PC said ‘Move to the front, don’t resist’.
Navroz
did what he was told, and was then bundled into a police van. Later he
was
told that he had been arrested for violent disorder (s.2 of the Public
Order
Act, an offence carrying maximum sentence of 5 years), because he was
seen
throwing a plastic bottle at the police. He was arrested at 16.45, and
transported to the police station with various other youths who had
been
arrested.

Once at the police station, he was put in a cell. Fahim Ahmed,
representing
Navros, was told that the arresting officer did not witness the alleged
incident, but was simply told to remove Navroz from the crowd and put
him in
a van. Further, the officer who made the allegation was not found until
after 22.00.

Once the officer’s notes were available, no one was allocated to deal
with
the case. Eventually the police decided to charge Navroz, without the
opportunity to put forward his account in interview, with one charge of
threatening words and behaviour (s.4 Public Order Act) although no
particulars of the offence are available at this stage. Navroz was
released
on unconditional bail at 02.40, having spent nearly 10 hours in
custody. He
will appear at Bow Street Magistrates’ Court on Monday 24th March.

Navroz is completely innocent. He offered his fingerprints to the
police to
verify that they would not be on the bottle that was produced as
evidence,
but this was refused by the police. He was filmed copiously by the
police
evidence gatherers, but no footage was available to confirm or disprove
his
involvement in any alleged offence.

Account of police brutality at Charing Cross police station on 20.03.03

Asad Raja and Sukant Chandan were sitting on the floor of the Station
Desk
Office. There were various people inside the SDO, mostly waiting for
the
release of protestors who had been arrested at the anti-war
demonstration
earlier on. There was also at least one solicitor waiting there.

One PC came out of the locked door leading to custody and asked some
people
in a corner to leave the police station. As he did this, two other PCs
came
into the SDO from the door leading through to the front desk. The
people
asked why they were being asked to leave, and 3 or 4 more PCs arrived.

Sukant, who had not been addressed by the police, said ‘Why don’t you
leave
them alone? They’re just waiting for their friends.’ A PC turned to
Sukant
and said defiantly ‘You can go as well’. Sukant replied, ‘You’ll have
to
drag me’.

This incensed the police, who are used to being obeyed, and both Sukant
and
Asad were grabbed by their wrists and arms and literally dragged out of
the
police station. Asad was dragged headfirst, close to the floor, and his
left
shoulder was slammed into the door frame. He was then thrown onto the
road
in front of the police station steps, and landed in between two
vehicles.

Sukant grabbed the door handle and resisted being thrown out
temporarily,
however, he was pushed out and then thrown against a vehicle, causing
him
pain and distress.

Asad got up from the floor and saw Sukant being pushed against a police
vehicle by three officers. Asad said repeatedly ‘Why are you doing
this?
We’ve done nothing.’ Sukant was saying to the others who had been
cleared
from the station ‘Get his number, get his number’, in relation to the
PC who
initially pushed him against the vehicle.

The situation was approximately 10 PCs attacking Sukant and Asad
outside the
police station, with the latter simply protesting at the violent
behaviour
of the police then, and earlier in the day against school children
protesting in Parliament Square. Asad saw a PC go to choke Sukant, and
so
put his arm in the way to protect Sukant. Another PC looked Asad in the
eyes
and shouted ‘Get out of the fucking way’, came through 2 PCs in between
himself and Asad, grabbed Asad by the throat and pushed him onto the
road
again.

One PC (who turned out to be a sergeant [PS 23 McLelland]) was so
agitated
that one of his colleagues told him to take it easy. He got angrier and
stepped forward and punched Sukant on the left side of his jaw. Other
PCs
followed to bundle Sukant, as Asad jumped up to protect Sukant from the
attacking PCs with his arms wide. Asad was then bundled from his right
side
onto a parked car. He felt blows to his head, his arm twisted, and
heard
someone say ‘cuff him’. Asad, now in cuffs, saw Sukant still being
attacked
and said ‘Leave him alone’.

Sukant was pushed a few paces to the left of the steps and towards the
ground. As he semi-crouched, trying to block the attack, an Asian PC
pulled
out his extendable whip-style baton and made ready to use it. Sukant
put his
hands up and said ‘I’m not moving, I’m not moving’. The PCs pushed
Sukant
onto the ground, kneeling with his arms behind his back, with his head
on
the ground. They then took him through the station to the custody area
with
his arms behind his back, head close to the ground and doubled over.
Once
inside the corridors of the station, the sergeant who punched Sukant
said to
his colleague ‘never contradict me in public’, and followed with ‘I’m
your
superior, you don’t tell me how to do my job’.

Sukant was saying ‘I haven’t done anything, this officer punched me’.
He was
afraid that the sergeant would continue to take his anger out on him,
so as
Sukant was brought into the custody area he shouted ‘this officer
punched
me’. He was taken straight to a cell, still doubled-over with hands
behind
back, where he was pinned down by knees on his arms. One of the knees
belonged to sergeant McLelland, who pushed his thumb into Sukant’s neck
behind his ear. Sukant was not resisting, and could not have been. The
officers withdrew from the cell in a dramatic flash, ending with the
cell
door slamming shut.

Neither were interviewed, but the police were aiming to charge Sukant
with
threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour (s.4 of the Public
Order Act 1986) and Asad with obstruction of a police officer. Fahim
Ahmed,
was representing both and persuaded the police that it was
inappropriate to
prosecute, especially considering the circumstances: an illegal war
being
declared by the UK and US on a sovereign nation, young demonstrators
being
beaten by the police, people waiting for their friends and family being
physically thrown out of the station and then unnecessarily attacked by
police officers.

Both were released without charge, having spent over 5 hours in
custody.

_____________________

2. on the death of Rachel Corrie in Gaza by Israeli State

For articles on and by Rachel. Also pictures of her and her murder by
Israel
http://www.electronicintifada.net/v2/article1248.shtml

http://www.slpyouth.org
[email protected]

SLP Youth statement on the death of Rachel Corrie in Gaza by Israeli
State

Rachel, a 23 year-old US national, was killed by an Israeli military
bulldozer in Rafah, Palestine, on 16 March 2003, whilst trying to halt
the
demolition of Palestinian property (arable land, houses, other civilian
buildings) by the illegal Israeli military occupiers.

It is with sadness that we hear news of the death of Rachel Corrie, and
we
would like to convey our condolences to and solidarity with her friends
and
family. We especially appreciate the strength of her parents who
stated,
"[we] are proud that Rachel was able to live her convictions."

Rachel is an example to young people who have a desire to do what they
can
to overthrow oppression across the world. She is especially an example
to
young people in the imperialist countries. She put herself of the
frontline
of the battle against imperialism and its Zionist puppets in standing
with
the Palestinian people, one of the most resilient and defiant
anti-imperialist people in the world. Yesterday a Palestinian of only 4
years old was killed in Palestine by the Israeli army, nearly everyday
Palestinian children are killed. Many people stay silent, but we urge
the
radical and democratic, working and student youth of the richest
countries,
to look beyond your relatively comfortable lives, and to learn the
lessons
of these sacrifices in the resistance to imperialism and neo-colonial
occupation.

To commemorate Rachel's death means to take inspiration from one young
woman
of a new generation of young people in the 'rich' countries who are on
the
march. They are no longer dumbed down by the imperialist triumphalism,
which
suggested that capitalism and 'globalisation' (i.e., imperialism) had
won
over the struggles to overthrow it. The imperialist war on Iraq in
1991,
Balkans in 1992, the invasion of Somalia in 1994, the terror-bombing of
Yugoslavia in 1999, the incredible rise of the second Intifada since
September 2000, the attacks on the WTC and Pentagon in 2001 which
rocked and
shocked the US Imperialists like no other attack in its history, the
US-UK
attack on Afghanistan in 2001, and now again an attack on tiny defiant
Iraq;
these are the events, along with the rise and strength of the peoples'
struggle in the Middle East, Nepal, Korea, Cuba, Colombia, Turkey and
many
other places, which are producing a new generation of young people who
are
becoming increasingly politicised and organised against racism,
capitalism
and imperialism across the world.

Socialist Labour Party Youth have sent members three times in the last
year
to Palestine. We will send more this summer with the Che-Leila Youth
Brigade, which is taking 100 people from Western Europe to Palestine
this
summer, on the 'Hundreds for Palestine 2003' delegation. We will take
inspiration from Rachel as an example of bravery in occupied Palestine.
In
light of the mass arrests, curfews and detentions, the expansion of
racist
and deadly settler roads, the uprooting of Palestinian arable lands,
the
demolishing of dozens of Palestinian houses daily, the indiscriminate
shooting of Palestinians and the continuing frenzied building of
illegal
Israeli settlements, all international solidarity activists should
understand that, while our non-violent actions are important, it is the
armed direct actions by the popular Palestinian forces which are the
cutting
edge of the popular Palestinian resistance.

Rachel Corrie R.I.P

All our martyrs rest in peace!
Imperialism out of the Middle East!

"I am just beginning to learn, from what I expect to be a very intense
tutelage, about the ability of people to organize against all odds, and
to
resist against all odds . we are learning from global examples how to
resist."
(quotes from Rachel's last email to her parents)

SLP Youth 19 March 2003