MURDOCH failed to THOVC his papers Wappin he Saturday night. largest mass picket so of print workers, their families, and supporters held the field until 2.30am on Sunday. Reports indicate that the papers were five hours and many had no advertising section.
Around 7-8,000 assembled at Tower Hill for a nine o'clock march on Wapping. They were Joined by others later. Feeling the strength demonstration larger than any before, LUC print workers set off in high spirits. The march had an RATES:
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Send to: Socialist Action Subs, air of democratic control of the streets were occupied from pavement to pavement.
Print union banners, the Hackney NALGO banner, NUT banners, Rolls Royce Park Royal were present. To chants of ICIe throng rolled purposefully WC go. the towards Wapping.
This peaceful, and profoundly dignified, response to Murdoch's attack on printers right to work gave all the SUIC authenticity to the anger and outrage that exploded at the sight of the ranked police lines, and the ever PO Box 50, London NI 2XP razor wire. Within minutes 60 feet of the iron railings were bent through degrees and the mounted police were on the pavement to fill the gap in Murdoch's defensive line.
Also within the police on horseback discovered that it was not the best place to be. Over exposed and extended, and without sufficient room to manoeuvre possibly feeling like a row of pop up targets at a coconut shy they withdrew in some disorder.
Before the vast majority of the demonstrators were even in sight of the plant, the police were on in combat forIne succi Police with lan shields interlocked, mobile praetorian guards WILl Special free book offer!
Take out a years inland subscription and we will send you free one of these books: On Afro American History For The Struggle 1s My Life by Nelson Mandela Special offer four months issues for squads, noung police proved inadequate attempts to timidate the print workers. mounted police deliberate. Even OUL of control trying, to run print pares oblivious to the workers down and, welfare of their mounts, did nothing to stem a growing realisation that tonight the papers would be stopped.
With the London branches of the print workers in control of the streets, and the police on the rampage.
defendec with crowd control barriers. Thes were used to restrict the mobility of the cavalry every street Murdoch's lorries had previously used as rat runs to avoid pickets was blocked by these barriers or hastily assembled £5 council estate dustbins, and in one instance a dormobile van.
Private cars and taxis were guided through the road blocks but the determination to try to block the roads to Murdoch even simply by sitting down was strong.
A representative of the local tenants spoke of the understanding by the residents of the printers Improvised songs Causc. soon to be followed by duplicated he feeling. deepened the solidarity and control. The street party mood deepened into the early hours of Sunday morning with an ever changing interaction discussion between the different groups on the SOGAT - nga - RUE - NUJ IN SUPPORT OF PRINTWORKERS WITH MURDOCH Assemble at Tower Hill/Lower Thames St. from 12 noon.
Lower Thames St, to Upper Thames Street.
Rally at Trafalgar Sa, to commence at 3.0.pm Speakers will include BRENDA DEAN-TONY DUBBINS,& HARRY CONROY NUJ General Secretary, & Trade Union & Labour Leaders, details of others to follow.
Pick up point: - The Embankment. From Northumberland Avenue to Waterloo Bridge. were registered: hundreds of leaflets about a meeting to be addressed by a returning movement delegation to El Salvador were well received, and a cry of 'Mama Doc - Papa Doc — Mur Doc' sent an appreciative tOdI of humour down the line. Ac claim of the Portsmouth SOGAT branch's attendance was long and loud when they boarded the bus for home at 1.30am.
With print workers in control, with flying pickets active an auxilliary printshop at Worthing, with radio contact between six concentrations of activity, with regular information reports about the overall state of play, with cheers of approval at these reports, and requests for the pickets to remain in the for a little while cent absenteeism Rupert's fortress due demoralisation, and with the evidence of wire meshed buses still parked up at iverpool Street Static for Murdoch's 'workers' after 2.00am, it seems clear that the scabs, as well as the cops, are not a happy A corner was turned on Saturday night. situation has developed.
Mass picketing carried the day and all class conscious militants should organise to build the pickets even bigger. woman was heard to be singing quiet! to herself as she walked home I'd rather picket. • Build the Wapping picket.
ngal London Region NATIONAL GRAPHICAL ASSOCIATION News International Dispute MARCH RALLY Saturday 22nd March, 1986 Lower Thames Street, EC3, at 8pm Assemble
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out in the Wapping dispute. Ten thousand pickets nearly controlled the area around the plant until the police were able to regroup. Murdoch's papers were five hours late in appearing. FRANK GORTON gives an eye witness account.
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NATIONAL MARCH & RALLY SUNDAY 6* APRIL 1986 IN DISPUTE March to move off 1.pm/1.30.pm. ROUTE New Bridge Street, to Ludgate Circus, Fleet St, the Strand to Trafalgar Sa. until 5.0.pm.
COACHES Set down point:- Tower Hill.
For Rally at 9pm With resentein 40 per
March to: King Edward Vil Memorial Park