FOR THREE CENTURIES the British State mainly exported its violence. Its ships plundered Africa for slaves whilst its armies pillaged their bloody way over five continents. Its violence abroad paid the bill for having a less violent regime at home. here when people stepped out of line the state cracked down on them as at Peterloo and Tolpuddle to name but two of many instances.
no empire to finance reforms at home. violence is now coming to Britain itself. It's ugliest face has been seen on the streets of the six counties of the North of Ireland and those who warned that Belfast and Derry were dress rehearsals for the streets of the mainland have been proved prophets in their own time.
In the biggest police operation ever mounted in this country the state nas done all it can to beat the miners back to work Those WIND have counselled respect for the law like some of the TUC and Labour leaders have been only wrong but dangerously wrong, for their advice hasis led to nothing but defeatat and disaster. Now with the events at Dover last week the ruling class and their Get a suit Vow funnily enough none of this lot were at Dover to stop the lorry drivers' threatened rampage • but even Now things are changing at a rapid rate. There is So the state have not only shown their willingness use 'legal' violence through their police force but they lave been SeCl and give encouragement to the illegal violence of the lorry drivers.
this article BOB PENNINGTON looks at what happened at Dover and places it in the context of the growing polarisation that is taking place in Britain's class society. LAST WEEK, supervised UV police escorts. breaking lorry drivers were allowea to enter Dover. As the convoy converged on the port the drivers were openly threatening smash through a police blockade, lulurway the police obligingly let them through and into the Dover car park.
The situation was obvious to the local dockers. On one side you had over 1000 incensed lorry drivers breathing mayhem against the fairly smal] dock labour force and alongside the lorry drivers stood a • police force whose svmpathies lay with the strikeleakers.
The lorry drivers knew thev had got the go-ahead when a police spokesper on told them: 'We rely ol the commonsense of the lorrv drivers... It makes it more understandable that at that point, the dockers began to decide to call off their embargo. Once again the ponce and ine scabs had joined together, but said to have been doing nus ni or lae reds According Peter Wright a former MI5 officer, Hollis and twenty more of the British spy outfit were all working for the other side. At one time some fool in MiS thought former Labour prime minister Harold Wilson was a soviet spy.
self-respecting knows Harold walCilcI Wilson did all his spying real masters British imperialism and his loyalty never deviated.
The other lot, well maybe not. Personally I hope they were. What's more I hope they infiltrated lots and lots of their mates.
Anything that undermines that gang of reactionary hoodlums So if Mr Wright gets a few names wrong who cares? Confusion destabilisation tain's security forces can only be for the good of the human race. this time the police had a force do head bashing for them if the need al ust The labour movement has said little or nothing in orotest a wiarraopened at Dover. Nor strangely enough have many of the people and organisations normally noted for their defence CIVIl rights. Perhaps the significance of tnis new sinister rignt wing violence has escaped them.
Lorry driver D Rowley spokesperson said: "There's been no violence so far, but 10pm | don't know what will happen. If the drivers can't leave, they will burn the place down.
won't just be blockades, they will go on the rampage. And it won't stop at the port. If there are children around can't guarantee their safety?
But it has been noted in some Peregrine quarters. Worsthorne Mr who scratches out a living writing lead articles for the Sunday Telegraph which invariably espouses very right wing causes is very pleased about Dover. He described it as 'Something •Stiring in British politics saying it was not VETS police who kept the ports open.
was the turious lorry drivers....
Worsthorne the upper classes and he reckons thev have a new ally who bring 'violent trouble'. These new and violent trouble makers he says the unorganised self-employed, from one-man DUSICSSES This 'new army' has an added attraction for Worsthorne and his like. He says *they are just as fond of a bit of aggro as the toughest miners and not all that more impress ed by the sanctity of parliamentary either.' Now I don't doubt Photo: JOHN HARRIS that all those 'sensible' 'moderate' movement leaders will dismiss Worsthorne's article as the ranting of an eccentric right-wing columnist. But that won't wash.
Worsthorne is right The Covers KEDI Dover open with the help of the police course! Nor will this be the last time a right-wing rabble colludes with the police. In a Britain torn by economic and social crisis polarisation taking place. whose terests lie with the ruling menace that must be destroyed.
They back the antilegislation.
Thev like to see the polici baton the miners' pickets. They welcome the law courts' decisions against strikers and the women of Greenham. They are the natural allies of the employers and their state.
In the Wiemar republic their 1ke wore brown uniforms and helped the and communists. In Chile with the army against Allende Popular Front government. What happened at Dover is not a peaceful British life.' More It will happen and more if the movement does not treat it seriously. And treating it serious v means cracking down these breakers. The unions should have docker and take your registration number and you and your firm will never be allowed to drive a lorry out of any British port again.' That is the way to keep them in line and the trade movement must make sure done if this happens again. une intimidation againsi the Dover dockers shows they like any other striking worker can expect no help the police. That means they organise in future their own cerence against the police and the scabs.
It's a lesson that Britain's black community have learned and the trade movement take good note of that lesson — it will serve them well in future disputes.
----- pull-quotes -----
Firm firm believer sin the ruls of