A CND activist from Sheffield used her car to drive pickets into Nottingham. She described what happened on one day when she went out. WE WERE destined for Cresswell colliery, four miles over the Nottingham border, going by twisting lanes to avoid being Luncu Dack. threatened with arrest, or windscreen 'smashed by the "law'.
We arrived just aller 8pm. Two hundred or SO miners were already there, outnumbered nearly three to one by blue uniforms.
Our job Was "decoy' picket. The main thrust elsewhere.
was 'We're here to keen the co. the poi they explainpolice lined the road to the gate, even the Cresswell miners on the pickel weren t anowea to spake torted to inmates.
we rica to gom tnose behind the police blockade our exil was oldercu, ana we were closed in.
A local plained about this encircle¡cil, daylle il was aralisi our democratic rights. She was told 'You're not too old to be move arrested.
The local community is divided but many resentful of the police presence tactics. JOCA Was thrown to the ground and his nose bloodied for trying to stay and watch. An Inspector his angry mother newas too busy to find the officer responsible.
As the nightshift started to trickle voys of cars used the other gate. Others, too ashamed to show their faces, sneaked in through snickets and hedges. All the pickets do was shout, but ENCH message was clear: 'Join us, it'll be you We overheard a chief constable sav: "Mrs That. cher's got them under her boot, Illal s where they ought to be.
But has she? With the help of the rest of us she'll have a problem.
Rail traffic of coke and coal has been stopped with full support from the rail but despite statements road trans Doll UnOs many trucks have crossed the picket lines On Tuesday 3 April the miners responded with over 400 pickets blocking the road, the only effective way soo lie movemen of coal. All trucks in and out of the plant were stopped.
This brought out massive numbers of police and snatch squads were usTerry Thomas, Vice President of South Wales inspector inciting drivers to cross the pickel Police violence with over 50 arrests.
On Friday a middle aged picket from Mardy was set upon by two police while walking up the road to the steelworks. He was beaten unconcious and an ambulance was called when the police thought he had had a heart attack.
Police The two police quickly The view from Westminster