Main and facilitate centuries of imperialist tion and exploitation, and large sections working class have been successfully with racist attitudes. Some of the ins" given for racialism-immigrants live in recrowded conditions, are noisy, have wide and black skins-could of course just as ell be reversed Englishmen are dull, lifeless, d occasionally violent, they eat boring and sgusting food, have blotchy pink skins... They are no more than raționalisations for a much eper phenomenon. Similarly with some of the cuses given for attacking Pakistanis: they don't speak English, they don't mix, they don't ight back. Nor is the view that racialism is aused by competition for jobs and housing adequate; the problem of racialism would not automatically disappear with better housing and full employment, any more than the social and material problems of the British people would be solved if the immigrants went away Racialism has by now become deeply embedded in the consciousness of British people, and has a superstructural life of its own. But it is clear that the ending of capitalist exploitation is a recondition for eradicating the poison of racialism.
Racialism has acquired an additional usefulness for British capitalism, although its explosive dangers are also apparent to the authorities (this is one of the contradictions of their position): it serves to divide the oppressed against themselves, and to divert white workers from the real source of their grievances. Poor housing conditions, bad schools, high taxes, can all be blamed on immigrants; not openly by official Tory and Labour spokesmen, but the task is adequately performed by Powell and his like. The skinheads, as the article below makes clear, have a quite definite class consciousness, and they are prepared to attack the authorities. particularly the police, and property. But they also attack Pakistanis. There is some evidence that their attacks may be organised by fascist elements; meetings in a particular part, it is said, have been infiltrated by agents of the akistani community and reported to the police Vhen the skinheads' violence is channelled ir deterred them from arresting Pakistanis involved), largely ignored.
Skinheads in Uniform Attacks on Pakistanis, in the East End and elsewhere, have been going on for some years. In the East End there have been no police prosecutions of white attackers, although there have been a number of arrests and convictions of Pakistanis, and there have been some successful private prosecutions of whites by Pakistani lawyers. As the statement reproduced opposite shows, the police are able to control these attacks, once forced into action by their fear of organised Pakistani patrols. The Pakistani community is convinced that the police are simply unwilling to give them the same protection that they give to whites, or to property. The police force in the East End is 25% under strength, while it is fully up to strength in the West End. And self-defence is considered legitimate from, for example, jewellers in the West End and property owners, but not for Pakistanis whose lives and safety are threatened, since of course successful and organised resistance by Pakistanis to gang attacks would pose serious threats to the system. In addition, it would in fact be surprising if the police, given their authoritarian position and their function in protecting the system, were not racialist; some militant Pakistanis have referred to "skinhead-police", skinheads in üniform. The police deliver their own form of summary justice, regularly beating up Pakistanis and other black immigrants whom they arrest on minimal evidence and may afterwards release: hardiv necessary to orlicialiv reintroduce flogging, as is occasionally proposed by Tories in Parliament. "A Few Hooligans"
The death of Tosir Ali, the press headlines, and the skinheads open statements on television about Paki-bashing (which the police chose to ignore) and publicised statements on the need Tar we istanis set aerence nave toreed sort reaction from the authorities. They have chei main reaction appeare to have been to Slave been to The skinhead cult has emerged from, and appeals to working class kids who have left school before O-levels and work in labouring or light unskilled jobs. Revolving around football matches and the violence ensuing from them, the skinheads have developed very meticulous standards of dress-mohair suits, expensive shirts, and genuine levis. Their attitudes are simply those of their parents but they translate them more readily into action.
A Pakistani student gave us the following impressions: the skinheads originally defined them selves against the greasers (long hair, motor bikes and dirty). Whereas the greasers have tended to move towards the hippy scene and dropping out of the system, I have heard the skinheads attack trade union leaders for making compromises which eventually affect their pockets, and also the gurnor who'll try to squeeze out as much as he can. When a trainee chef at the Savoy said that it costs at least f25 for an evening dinner at his work-place, his mates shouted: "That's more than I live on in a week" and "It's about time we spanked the fuckers one". None of the greaser "Yeah man, you know like man, you know it's a bad scene man, but let's not get uptight about it (man?)"
One skinhead told me that, just as they didn't like the greasers with their oily hands, so they didn't like standards of proof (except, it appears, when Pakistanis are being prosecuted) and evidence was hard to get. Many of the difficulties between "you and us", they said, came from misunderstanding. Therefore they were appointing a liaison officer. He would "be able to assure you that we have done everything that we could" "help you to understand the laws of the land", "assure you of special interest' welcome you to Tower Hamlets, and offer you Peace ovine ceoo!
The Uncle Toms, for their part, assured theil "distinguished guests" that the Pakistanis were eace-loving people, appealed for peace an asked the police, the Pakistani High Commission, the government, the press, ete. to make greater efforts on their behalf. Mr. Jo Hunte, Community Relations Officer (black), the Pakistanis with their greasy hair and their greasy ways. Also the greasers are for Vietnam and the Pakistani protest demos so if the greasers like the Pakis we don't. The West Indians on the other hand aren't sneaky; they're sort of cool like and produce good music and dancing. Also they dress properly-unlike the Pakistanis.
The skinheads see the police as those who restrain the free flow of enjoyment of football-it becomes "us" and "them". They seem to think that the police are against the West Indians and the skinheads, hence making them common sufferers. But after having sworn at the police they say the usual "But I suppose somebody's got to do it." The Race Relations Act is seen as a weapon in the hands of the Pakistanis to beat the white men with, to get a council house before the whites do, and all the skinheads can do is to beat the Pakistanis so that they go away. Often instances like this typical one are given: "My old man has been living in this dump since he was a child and when he put his name down at the council, the Pakistanis got in before him though they have only been here for a month". When I asked them whether they thought it was the fault of the council for not building more houses, the answer was that the council was afraid of being blackmailed by the Race Relations Board.
them, and the police were reduced to saying that they would take them in the next time they found them "walking around" (a new offence, it appears, in English common law)
The PWU meeting on Sunday was so big tha it had to spill over into two halls. At the meeting it was announced that the PWU would organise a demonstration on Sunday May 3rd, to march from Speakers Corner. Appeals were made for Pakistanis to organise themselves in self-defence; the right of all men to protect themselves was asserted. It was pointed out that hopped the faners coming yes ugh tine police, Street in the '30s; there was a tradition of antifascist struggle in the East End which must be maintained. The Pakistanis would not allow themselves to be massacred like the Jews in Germany; they would fight back. Vigilantes would be formed, not to attack Englishmen, but to patrol. Pakistanis must go out and
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WILL of evidence, the police say; but this has not