I HOME Я КЕНЕ She NOW of a much higher level of struggle Red Weekiy 18 Sepember 1974 Page 2 There has been a weekly picket outside Prebble's since the tenants campaign began in February. The jailing last week of Joe Cohen and the writs for nuisanice, libel, and conspiracy against the islington Ten have established the basis class tenants to more out Saturday's picket, called by the blington Tenants Campaign Defence Committee, is to draw atfention to the role of the speculators, and in particular to the jailing last week of Joe Coher-one of the cumpaign activists who has been thrown into Pentonville for 28 days on a trumped up breach of the-peace charge.
Cohen is one of the Islington Ten, All due to appear in the Illigh Court on 10 October to answer writs issued by Prebble's, «cho are claiming damages for nuisance. libel and conspiracy.
Prebhies are weeping that the camssince February -hare done inseparable damage to their husiness." Unfortunately, this is not quite the case. One house le the area was recently hought up with sitting" tenants for 2,000, and then tarted up and re-sold for 68,000 after the tenants had been persunded to leave.
RIGHT TO PICKET
What is Fundamentally at stake here i the night to picket for a decent lone. and this Jas been recognised by the Ceotral London branch of the Transport and General Workers' Union's white collar losing card. outside the Islington office every weekend action by wurkers to put a stop to the "developments. indications that Prebble's have played a The campaign, which was Initiated in February with h march on Prebbles lod DY LanDiT ME Georue Canoinsane Pas until now been based around an extremely moderate tenants code, intorming - mauros what shey necd to do to be nicer to tenants, it fas been largely ignored forget to replace a wall of two. hy the labour movement and the left But the imperus created by che charges wearst the ton and by toner's imprisonment has established the basis of a much heightened level of struggle around the questions of the right to picket, that his constituents were heing killed workers' self-defence, and for united off. speculators" thougstful property BIJOU RESIDENCES This is brought sharply home by what is taking place in Islington. The multi- companies. occupied slum terraces are rapidly giving way to the bijou residences of the petit hourgorisie, while the former tenants join the housing waiting lists. Over the past ten guars, the proportion ol private untur nisheil tenancies in the arca has fallen from 62 to 48 per cent, and the size of the professional classes incrensed from 4 to 14 por cent. There are officislly 651 predictably-over 4,000 empry dwellings Behind these statistics lies the social degradation imposed on those forced to five in sums, and the thuggery of the "winklers' employed by the speculators and the apend to reme those tenast: unfortunate enough to live in a potentially desirable residence.
There is a pattern well-known to the lenants of Islingion: the men who call lo repair" the toaf and then absentmindedly remove half the slates and the chimney one ca bunders woo call by and And when these antics are resisted, there are the straightforward threats. "burgfaries." and wrecking operations. Even George Cunningham felt constrained to inform one of the property millionaires For these services, the winklers collect 260 a week plus C500 for evory house of E10 million in the past three years, as well as the directorship of 40 property DICK BRINSLEY Join the Hass picker or Prebbies 108 Upper Street, Isingran, from 9 30 to 12.30 pne on Saturder: 21 Septerber. Send donarions to the Infington Tenents Congogy Defence Conceiter, 196 Lher-