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From Militant, No. 306, 28 May 1976, p. 2.
Transcribed by Iain Dalton.
Marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for the Encyclopaedia of Trotskyism On-Line (ETOL).
Fines totalling £740 were imposed on ten defendants when they came up before Bradford magistrates last Thursday following disturbances during the recent demonstration of the National Front in the town (see Militant, no. 303). Most were charged with ‘insulting or threatening behaviour’. According to eyewitnesses, they claimed that the police had just pulled many of the accused at random out of the crowd.
Bradford Trades Council has expressed its dismay at the vicious fines while not fully agreeing with the actions of some of the demonstrators in being involved with incidents with the police at the time.
The Trades Council compared the charging of those demonstrating against fascism with the failure to charge two youths who destroyed the Trades Council banner on a previous anti-racialist march organised by the Labour Party Young Socialists. The Trades Council is to support all the defendants with finance. A collection fund is being organised to pay the fines. (See letters page 10)
The irony is that the size of the fines per person is larger than fines imposed by magistrates on firms contravening the Health and Safety Act when failing to supply respirators or protective clothing to workers using asbestos. The fine then was only £10.
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Last updated: 29 August 2016