rests on the Old Bailey picket showing yet again the state's desire to cause trouble at every stage. Inside, the overt harassment has But the Asian defendants are invariably detained ten minutes longer than the whites.
As the courtroom battle is joined it becomes rapidly clear that the police are covering up for Duke of Edinburgh pub blaming the ASIans the disturbances on 7 April last year. The pub landiord regulars nave obviously something to hide.
Scott young victim of an earlier assault said he had his arm in a siing but no one else has recarled It. He admitted leading a sortie from the pub but conveniently claimed to have gone a different way the others.
The landlord managed to forget parts his statement suggested that he knew of that attack. Other regulars were apparently innocently playing pool when the windows were smashed. 'Hear no evil, see no evil' has been the watchword from within the Duke of Edinburgh.
Other witnesses have been more frank. One saw police ring the pub bell after Scott Young was 'assaulted', but tor some reason no one answered.
saty group OT whites run from the pub with weapons and viciously attack a Mercedes full of Ásians, smashing the back windscreen.
Before the pub winciows were group of whites outside pub WCIC abublIk asians gathered opposit he Wimpey bar. The win dow of the Wimpey was broken by a pool ball and pool cues were thrown.
No police officer has yet admitted seeing any whites at all at this stage except possibly 'middle agones with shopping Yet the official police occurence records a fight between 50 Asians and 25 whites. The tor now — died down.
figure of 50 Asians is also unsupported by photographs taken of the incident.
To identify the defendants, the prosecution rely on an ex-waitress of the Wimpey bar to recognise them photographs. inl cross-examination she Delle a ponce informer, though she later retracted this.
She needed 'reminding' of at least one name before she gave evidence. Then she claimed to idennry one delencant Just Dy his 'body structure The horrifying series of racist attacks on that day chillingly nave counted to the jury by the youth (still only 'O' level age) was hit on the head with a ham mer, taken to a common two miles away, thrown in a ditch and attacked with a block of concrete. It was car used had been parked near the Duke of Edinburgh.
Police response: just circulate the car details to officers on routine patrol. Not all of them got the message.
The judge has already said that provocation not a defence, the charge OI 'affray" is so wide that even if the whites started the trouble, Ta e Asians can still be convicica ior Jomg lSo, however good the detence. the central Issue still remains: is it criminal to protect the community when no one else will? • Rally on Thursday 7om. at East Ham Town Hall. High Street South. London E6 Mass picket of the Old Bailey Crown (nearest tube: St Paul, every Mon day till the end of the trial. Free transport available from East Ham at 11am.