THE TORY GOVERNMENT are not only using every piece of slander they can find against the miners, they are also punishing them with vicious sentencing in the courts for minor offences. A staggering total of 10,520 miners in England, Scotland and Wales have been arrested in the first 10 months of the strike. The number of miners Number 3 of the campaign. January, sees the first tiraf This week (end of miners in Sheffield for unlawful assembly.
Ten defendants on 31 rested a mile May are to be tried before the Crown Court. If found they could face a life sentence.
To arrested for unlawful assembly could be one of three people gathered together for seemingly 'an unlawful purpose, or a lawful purpose unlawfully carried In this case it is the way in which they allegedly intended to prevent the coke leaving Orgreave which provoked the charges being brought. Leon Brittan has said that even when the strike wives, You don't have to do anything. You could be at a meeting.
The charge of unlawful rarely used. assembly For criminal activity, the police USC Section charges (eg threatening behaviour).
Hundreds of miners on picket lines have been picked up under Section 5 prevIous days on ine same circumstances.
But there are also 600 people who have been charged with unlawful assembly or riot, which yet more serious.
Riot defined as, 'tumultuous disturbance the peace, assembling with a common purpose prisoners. They are not criminals. The labour movement has a duty to rally round to defend them, their families and the cause for which they have fought.
different areas to illustrate the way in which British justice is class justice — no justice at all if you are a striking miner or a woman from the mining communities.
the terror of the people'.
who was at Orgreave or who has seen videos will know who was terrorising whom, 4110 who was rioting ... and it wasn't the pickets. must have decision been taken to change the tvpe of charges being brought to try to make an example of the Hicks. Below we publish a selection of reports from Case 2:
Robbie Andrews Cresswell (after spending three months remanded in custody) got 9 months jail hitting scab, Paul Spray from Bolsover. The scab actually started the fight but he was not chargWhen Derbyshire miner, Mick Machin hit another scab, Malcolm Wagstaff, he got 16 days
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sent to prison or detention centres so far is 148. is over miners will be hounded by the police and THE SOUTH Yorkshire Defence Campaign is a new campaign comprising miners, miners' groups, trade unionists, Labour Party members and
members of black organisations, miners' support women's groups which aims to publicise the treat- ment of miners and their families at the hands of the police and courts. The extract below is from Bulletin