Forwarded message: Date: Sun, 13 Apr 1997 09:56:39 GMT Reply-To: Forum on Labor in the Global Economy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sender: Forum on Labor in the Global Economy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> From: LabourNet <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Fw: London Marchers Back Dockers To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Begin Included Message ----- Date: Sat, 12 Apr 1997 17:30:16 -0700 (PDT) From: Institute for Global Communications <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: 3,500 London Marchers Back Dockers > April 12, 1997 > > British Marchers Back Dock Workers > LONDON (AP) -- Demonstrators marching in support > of fired dock workers threw bottles, paint and an > orange smoke bomb Saturday at police guarding the > entrance to Downing Street, where Prime Minister > John Major has his official residence. > > Dozens of police donned riot gear to protect > themselves, and many officers were splattered with > paint, but the demonstrators did not penetrate the > metal gates at the street's entrance. > > Major was away campaigning ahead of the May 1 > general election. > > The protest could focus renewed attention on one > issue of campaign: the possible revival of union > power if the opposition Labor Party wins. Labor, > which traditionally has been financed by trade > unions, is leading Major's Conservative Party by > more than 20 points in opinion polls. > > The Social Justice March, organized by a group > called Reclaim The Streets, attracted an estimated > 3,500 people. > > Its primary aim was to support Liverpool dockers, > who are fighting to regain their jobs more than a > year and a half after being fired in a dispute > over pay and working conditions. > > Organizers also hoped to highlight other social > causes such as the homeless, asylum seekers, > pensioners, environmentalists and people with > disabilities. > > There were fresh clashes later in nearby Trafalgar > Square, where marchers hurled paving slabs and > bottles at police. > > Some protesters climbed buildings to display > banners; others daubed graffiti on statues and the > National Gallery art museum. > > Two hundred police in riot gear backed by officers > on horseback cleared about 1,000 people from the > square, which was littered with broken glass, cans > and smashed placards. > > A Scotland Yard spokesman said 16 people were > arrested during the march, including four for > alleged conspiracy to commit murder. He didn't > elaborate. > > Five marchers and one police officer were treated > at a hospital for minor injuries, the spokesman > said. ---- End of Included message ---- Just a couple of corrections (I was there). There were considerably more than 3,500 on the demonstration although it was broken into two parts by a police charge of riot police and horses outside Downing Street. The "Mail on Sunday" estimated 10,500 which I would think seems about right. Some of the demonstrators did get through the police cordon and over the metal gates at Downing Street. Two of them got into the Foreign Office and scattered government papers and documents out of an upstairs window. The conspiracy to commit murder charge arose from a group of youth driving a lorry at police lines. Chris Bailey LabourNet
