The August London Calling is below. Articles include the release of Mark Barnsley, encouraging signs of industrial struggle, a look at ID cards and great news from the Post Office! Finally there are diary dates for upcoming events in the next month or two.

London Calling
August 2002

Victory To The Wreckers!
If there is a long hot summer to be found anywhere in Britain – it is on the industrial front! The first nation wide strike by local government workers for 23 years, has been joined by strikers on the tube, and action appears imminent in the post office (no change there then!) and amongst our fire fighters.
Perhaps most pleasing of all however has been the willingness of some workers in traditionally unorganised or weak workforces to take action. Homerton Hospital in Hackney has seen cleaners walk out in protest at the under mining of their pay and conditions by agency staff.
Also, take for example the cleaners, concierges and caretakers at posh Dolphin Square, close to the Palace of Westminster. Described by The Independent as Britain’s poshest housing estate, the 1250 flats at Dolphin Square are home to no less than 20 Labour MPs, the ex-Tory leader William Hague, and Labour peer Lord Desai.
Perhaps most hypocritical of all is Home Office Minister and resident Beverley Hughes MP. A frequent public critic of racism, Ms Hughes privately accepts the services of Dolphin’s Square mostly African cleaners, some of whom are paid as little as £9850 a year. These workers deserve more than her warm words.
On Friday 12 July Dolphin Square workers held a 24 hour strike in protest at a 3% pay offer by the Dolphin Square Trust and a refusal to pay workers a £1000 London weighting.
The workers listed above are the sort of people Tony Blair describes as wreckers. Victory to the Wreckers!

The Doughty Doherty’s!
Congratulations to Communications Workers Union activist, postal worker Mick Doherty, who has been offered £125,000 by Consignia (ex Royal Mail) after the failure of Consignia to reinstate him. As covered before in London Calling, both Mick and brother Tom won unfair dismissal claims against Consignia. They were sacked after Tony Blair urged employers to dismiss football hooligans, and the Doherty brothers were pictured in the media allegedly fighting with Turkish fans at Arsenal’s 2000 UEFA Cup Final against Galatasaray.
Consignia were only too keen to rid themselves of two well known union activists despite the fact that neither were arrested or even charged with any offence. They have agreed to reinstate Tom, but refuse to re-employ CWU official Mick “under any circumstances”
Both brothers can thank the magnificent support of postal workers in north London, who launched several walkouts in their support. Clearly postal workers know considerably more about solidarity, the law and human rights than Consignia or the ex-barrister Tony Blair.

Mark Barnsley – Freedom But No Justice
Mark Barnsley was released from HMP Whitemoor on 24 June, after serving just over 8 years in jail. Mark was met by friends and supporters from Yorkshire, London and Brighton and an official NUM banner. Supporters then took Mark for a celebratory breakfast in nearby March, Cambs, with the usual police tail. Indeed whilst we enjoyed a slap up breakfast in a café the overworked Cambridgeshire police found time to patrol March’s main car park, noting down the number plates of all the vehicles that had travelled for the event. Whatever these bastards are short of, it is certainly not officers or resources.
It is important to note that whilst Mark has been released his conviction has not been quashed. Mark intends to rebuild his life in the coming months and years, but he has made it plain to Class War that his struggle for justice is far from over. We look forward to seeing him in London soon.

Jubilee Arrests
The Movement Against the Monarchy demonstration at Tower Hill on June 4th saw 41 arrests, mostly of those drinking in a pub after the event. The Legal Defence Monitoring Group is advising those arrested and can be contacted at LDMG, BM Haven, London, WC1N 3XX.

One Law For Them
The inquest into the shooting of Harry Stanley, by police in Hackney in 1999, has finally been held. Although the names of the officers responsible for shooting an unarmed man walking home from the pub are now known, there was little other comfort for the Stanley family. Inspector Neil Sharman shot Harry through the head, whilst PC Kevin Fagan shot him in the arm. Both remain on duty with the Metropolitan Police.
The coroner at St Pancras Coroners Court, Stephen Chan, refused to allow the jury to record a verdict of unlawful killing. Worse he brought up details of Harry’s long spent criminal convictions, something even the cops had steered clear of doing following the shooting. The jury responded by recording an open verdict, despite Chan’s far from subtle encouragement to record a verdict of lawful killing.
The Harry Stanley case is proof once again that the system works – for them.

Big Brother Blunkett
Whilst it may be a little inaccurate to say that David Blunkett is watching us, there is little doubt that he is determined to behave like Big Brother. His 6 month consultation on the introduction of an entitlement card – an ID card to you an me – has been slated across the board. Blunkett is trying to avoid introducing a compulsory card by sleight of hand. It seems likely it will be compulsory to register for the card, but not compulsory to carry it.
However the likelihood is that you will need the card to claim benefits, cash a cheque, hire a car, rent a house, travel on an internal flight, get a ticket for a category A football match – we could go on, but we are sure you get the picture. Put simply daily life for working class people will be impossible unless you carry your card. For the well to do, and for people like Mr Blunkett himself, the card can be safely left in a drawer and forgotten about.
The hype from new Labour is that ID cards will defeat the evils of fraud and terrorism. Odd then that the USA has not introduced ID cards after September 11th, or that they were never needed here at the height of the IRA campaign. We wonder how much corporate fraud will be prevented by ID cards?
Interestingly former Tory minister Peter Lilley criticised Blunkett, pointing out that any ID card that could stop fraud or terrorism would require penalties against citizens who failed to carry the card. Harassment by the police of such people, accordingly to Lilley, would be unacceptable. Not for the first time since 1997, Labour find themselves well to the right of the Conservative party.
It may be some time before the specific details of the ID card scheme become
apparent. Clearly the need to register would suggest a campaign of non-registration is a definite possibility. Watch this space!

Class War Spoken Word
New this month are three Class War compact discs!

“Class War On The Streets” is a drum and bass CD with a driving political commentary. £8

“Bash The Rich” Gives more Class War analysis of the world today, accompanied again by a drum and bass soundtrack. £8

“Street Corner Rants – Class War Poets From The Housing Estates” 13 poems from the home to the picket line. £4.

All three are available from London Class War at the above address. As usual cheques/POs to “London Class War” only – please add 10% to cover postage.

Tyne & Wear Class War
To get involved with Class War in the North East of England, please phone Tyne & Wear Class War on 0774 839 4217.

Probably The Best T Shirt In The World
Class War T shirts are now available bearing the slogan “Class War – Probably The Best War In The World”. Any similarity between the shirt and the Carlsberg lager logo is of course purely coincidental. Shirts are available in medium, large and fat bastard sizes at £8.

Definitely Not Barking
The Walthamstow Anarchist Group has launched a newsletter, The Underdog. Highlight for us was the excellent critique of speed camera’s, and a warning about the location of several sneaky camera’s located around north east London. The fact that many of these camera’s are effectively hidden demolishes the lie that they exist to make roads safer by deterring speeding motorists – they are clearly being used to raise even more funds for the police. Also given the way the Met drive in London, who the fuck are they to lecture us about our speed?
The Underdog is free from WAG, PO Box 35832, London E11 3WT, although 6 stamps will get you a nice subscription!

Mindless Violence?
“It is tragic that something I devoted so much time and energy to should have been damaged by a few seconds of mindless violence”
Sculptor Neil Simmons, after his statue of Margaret Thatcher was decapitated by a man armed with a scaffolding pole in Guildhall Art Gallery.

Anarchist Youth Network
The AYN held a national gathering in London in mid-July. Any young thrusters wanting to get involved with the AYN should contact them on 07814 629780. They plan a busy next 12 months.

Internal Bulletin
All members should have had Issue 64 of the IB. If not please let London Class War know.

Diary Dates

For details of London Class War meetings please contact London Class War.

Sat 20 July Marks the first anniversary of the death of Italian activist Carlo Guilani, shot by the police in Genoa. We avenge his death daily, by building a better world.

Weds 24 July 7pm The Ritzy Cinema, Brixton. Indymedia show a new documentary about last years events in Genoa, which saw the tragic death of Carlo Guilani and the repression of the Italian state come down against the anti-capitalist movement. Tickets £5.

Sat 27 July 2pm Community Activism workshop, Radical Diary, 47 Kynaston Road, Stoke Newington. Speakers include Hackney IWCA, Day Mer, People Not Profit, Schnews and Social centres Network. The days aim is to share practical skills gained in community struggles.

Sun 28 July 2-5pm Stop The Countryside Alliance Forum, Upstairs Room, Union Tavern, Lloyd Baker Street, Kings Cross. Meeting to discuss opposition to the inbreds leading up to and at their march in September.

Sun 11 August 2pm The Smokey Bears Picnic, Southsea Common, Southsea, Hempshire. Following the recent decriminalisation of dope, will Hampshire Constabulary waste as much tax payers money policing this event as they have in recent years?

Sat 21 September Class War National Conference, London.

Sun 22 September Noon They Shall Not Pass! Picket the Countryside Alliance march, Parliament Square, Westminster.

Sat 19 October 10-7pm The 21st Annual Bookfair, Camden Centre, Euston Road, London WC1. A range of excellent promotional stickers and leaflets are available from the Anarchist Bookfair, 84b Whitechapel High Street, London E1.